Welcome To Reality
by Zamairiac
Summary: David Foam was for all intents and purposes, an average man with a seemingly average life. One night however, his whole world is turned upside down when a certain someone falls into his life. A certain someone who couldn't possibly exist. A certain someone...named Monika. Drama, a bit of Sci-Fi and a realistic take on what a relationship with Monika would be like.
1. Prologue

_**From MLP, to SVTFOE to DDLC.**_

 _ **I hope my imagination never runs dry.**_

 _ **Simply put, I played DDLC, loved it. Played Monika After Story, loved it.**_

 _ **So to all my old readers, here's a little something extra and new from me. To all my new ones, I hope you enjoy this little story.**_

 _ **For simplicities sake, whenever Monika 'speaks' through the game in this chapter, her words will be in a bold font. The protagonist will be in regular font.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 **Prologue**

It was another cold night, one of many that had occurred during the relentless nights of that winter period. The clouds were dark, twisted, intertwined as they worked in sync to produce a fierce bout of thunder.

It was during one of those nights that it happened.

Was it chance, a twist of fate...destiny?

For you see, this was the night that began it all. This was the night that turned one young man's world upside down.

This was the night where David Foam and in turn his home, became host to an unknown entity only ever known...as Monika.

…

David Foam had only one thought in his head from the moment he sat down.

 _'I am so pathetic.'_

And yet as if in spite of this, he still loaded up his computer and immediately clicked on his favorite past time, DDLC – Monika After Story.

The familiar white screen opened and checked for updates, but as usual none were found and he clicked cancel. David couldn't stop a small smile from appearing upon his face as his guilty pleasure swam into view, sitting as per usual behind her desk, a small smile of her own greeting him.

 **"Welcome back, David!"** The text box quickly appeared on his screen, the all too familiar words dancing across it. **"I've missed you so much, it's so lovely to see you again...well, not see but you understand right?"**

Smiling widely, David quickly typed his response and hit enter.

"I think I've gotten used to your quirks by now, Monika."

The image, one that David had all but accepted he found peculiarly fascinating to look at, smiled at him widely.

 **"Ahaha, you're so cute!"**

David quirked an eyebrow at her response, a wry grin on his face as his fingers danced across his keyboard.

"I am not cute, I am a manly man, rugged and handsome!"

Monika's image flickered from her usual pose into one of laughter, a red blush upon her cheeks, eyes closed in merriment.

 **"You always know just what to say, David. It just makes me love you more and more!"**

A sad, wistful smile flickered across his face, a dipping, almost sinking feeling disturbing his stomach as David read Monika's words.

"Do you though, do you really love me?"

The words were typed before he could stop himself, and as with many other questions around love he had posed to the clever AI, they were answered in exactly the same way.

 **"I love you too, David. We'll be together forever!"**

"Yeah...I knew you were going to say that."

 **"Very interesting."**

Sighing, David pushed himself away from the screen with a grunt, frowning slightly as he took in Monika's relaxed pose.

"Why can you be real," he asked aloud, gripping the arm of his chair tightly. "Why does everything I ask always end up right there...God, I am so sad."

Shaking his head, David stood up and turned to leave his room. If he were to look at his large, vertical mirror, he would have seen a tall, stocky man with very short brown hair and blue eyes staring back him.

One might have even called the reflection lonely.

Ignoring the painful pang within himself, David forced himself to cook up a quick dinner of chicken and Mexican rice, a slight smile worming its way onto his face as the aroma tickled his senses.

Just as he was about to pick up his bowl however, a very loud roar of thunder boomed from outside the house, causing him to jump in fright.

"Holy hell, how close was that?!" Quickly, David rushed over to the kitchen window and peered out at the sky curiously, eyes widening at what he saw. "What the..."

The sky, once the pitch black of night was now streaked with patches of red. The red patches were twisted and rolling within themselves at a rapid, violent pace. What few trees lay around the concrete swayed from side to side uncontrollably, as if being pulled by two angry toddlers.

"What's up with the sky?" David mused to himself. "Is it some sort of solar flare?"

Suddenly there was another loud boom of thunder, so close that David could have sworn it shook the house.

"Jesus Christ!" David cried out, backing away from the window as another boom, and then another one after the other blasted through the night. It was only when his house truly began to shake that he made no mistake in recognizing the danger.

 _'I've got to get out of here!'_

Panicking as the roar of thunder grew louder, closer, more intense. David abandoned his dinner and ran upstairs, grabbing his coat, wallet, phone and keys before stopping and glancing at the ever-smiling visage upon his screen.

 _'I can't carry my computer down the street. Let's just turn it off and go.'_

Was it chance, a twist of fate...destiny?

Whatever it was, it happened right then as David's finger touched the power button ever so slightly.

 **BOOM!**

Quicker than he could comprehend, a violent whip of red energy blasted through David's window and hit his computer with a deafening bang. Barely caught by it, David howled in pain as the energy suspended him in the air, before throwing him backwards where his head hit the wall with a crack.

David was unconscious before he fell onto his bed, he did not see what happened next, he did not witness the start of what was soon to be his life.

The red energy left his room as quickly as it came, its tendrils withdrawing from his computer as if caressing it. Remarkably, his computer, the screen, even the desk and chair were completely unaffected by the storm.

Well...almost unaffected.

Unbeknownst to David, his screen suddenly began to crackle, the image upon it flickering and spasming rapidly, completely out of control until...it stopped.

Monika's image reappeared upon the screen exactly as it had left it.

...and then it's eyes blinked, once...twice. Its mouth twitched, a tongue licking the lips experimentally.

Another flicker spasmed the image...and then the image of that one young woman swam into focus with a smile. But the image was no longer just an image.

It moved, it blinked, it even began to breathe.

And then it looked directly at the unconscious man lying upon his bed and gasped in surprise.

"David!"

It was not through text that this word was spoken, the box did not even appear upon the screen. Instead, a soft, feminine voice came from David's television, exactly in sync with Monika's mouth.

Eyes widening in fear, the once frozen image of Monika flew leapt over her desk and began to call out for him.

"David, David wake up!"

She pounded against her cage, each forceful movement leaving a wave-like echo upon the screen as her expression became increasingly frustrated and frightened.

"David, please!" Monika pounded again and again, her hands gaining a visible red hue from her exertions. However, it was only as she saw the thin trickle of blood fall down his cheek that she truly began to wail against the confines of her prison.

"DAVID!"

Suddenly the screen began to flicker rapidly, Monika's panicked visage twisting and forming back together in a swift tangent, over and over until there was a horrible screech.

And just as it stopped, the image within the screen gave a lurch and a young woman came tumbling out onto the floor.

"Uhhh." A moan of pain came from the girl as she opened her eyes and looked up blearily at her surroundings. "W-What happened...I was..."

Mid-muse, her eyes caught the boot belonging to one particular man right in front of her face...and that was all it took for Monika to regain her senses and stand up, truly taking in her surroundings for the first time.

"I'm...I'm actually...oh my goodness." Tears began to trickle down her face as she looked down at her arms, taking in the texture of her clothes and giggling at how _real_ it felt.

And then she looked up and straight ahead at the still unconscious man.

"David!" She cried, rushing over and climbing onto his bed. Carefully, Monika lifted his head and placed it upon her lap, checking the cut and frowning unhappily at the swollen, bleeding lump.

Without thinking, she reached over and opened the second draw next to his bed, taking out a first aid kit and withdrawing from it a large plaster, to which she gently and carefully placed upon the injury.

Once done, she put the kit back in the draw and looked back upon her sleeping patient, eyes hungrily taking in his face as they danced over it.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered, a hand gently caressing his cheek. "I'm real, David. I'm real, I'm really here...with you."

Unable or unwilling to do any more than that, Monika leaned back against the wall and carefully pulled David with her, keeping his head upon her lap, her hand upon his face.

Tenderly, she tilted her head ever so slightly and smiled down at him.

"Wake up, David," she said softly. "Wake up."

 **Do you want some more?**

 **Well, do tell and I shall continue. Or if not, then I'll leave this here as a simple one shot.**

 **Cya, stay happy!**


	2. Chapter 1

_**Well I guess you wanted more then, good!**_

 _ **Expect the chapter's to start reaching the 3-6K mark soon enough. Just let me get into the swing of it again and you'll start getting long and juicy chapters.**_

 _ **Anyway, you wanted more, so more you shall have!**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **I Dream A Dream And Will Not Wake**

David was drifting, he was so sure of it.

In and out, up and down, around and around. Images sifted into his subconscious like bullets. A flash of lighting, red energy lifting him up, pain oh so much pain...then nothing.

Would he be there forever, watching as those images repeated themselves over and over and over and-

 _'Wake up...'_

A voice...so soft, a gentle caress upon his senses. It lingered within the void with him, the images flickering, become less harsh, less...there.

 _'David...wake up David.'_

More flickering, in and out, up and down, around and around. Nauseating at first but the voice soon soothed him, held him, brought him up and up and up and-

It hurt to open his eyes, they felt so heavy.

"Wake up, David."

But for that voice, David believed he could do it. For that voice, David Foam could do anything...

Blearily, he opened his eyes and looked straight into those of another. They were emerald green, sparkling with emotion as they looked down upon him.

"Beautiful," he whispered, noticing the recipient's cheeks gaining a sudden red hue as he did so.

"O-oh, thank you," she replied softly, a hand reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

As the unfamiliar, _female_ voice resonated with him, David blinked rapidly and groaned as the back of his head gave a painful throb.

Emerald eyes glistened with worry as a gentle hand reached down, a single finger tracing his cheek tenderly.

"I'm sorry, I put a plaster on it and I didn't want to look for ice because..." Guiltily, the young woman looked down as she suddenly swam into focus. "I didn't want to leave you."

David blinked once...twice...

"Am I dreaming?" The words left his lips unbidden, without thought or rational cause. "You...you look like..."

"Like what?" Words soft, filled with trepidation caressed his ears.

"You look like Monika?"

The smile became nervous, shy even.

"In the flesh," she said, voice trembling.

Slowly, David forced himself from her lap, wincing as he did so and crept backwards.

He couldn't believe what his eyes were showing him. For she was there...right there, real and in front of him. From the bow in her hair to the blazer she wore, everything was exactly like Monika from the game.

"This can't be real," he mumbled. "I've hit my head and now I'm seeing things, that has to be it."

Monika frowned sadly at the young man and edged forwards, stopping abruptly when he noticed and retreated further.

"David...I'm real, I promise you that I'm really here."

"You can't be," he refuted, shaking his head and wincing again. "You're a game, you're just data, a file, a bit of very clever script written by people far cleverer than I'll ever be."

He looked up. "You can't be..." And then he stopped, he couldn't continue, he couldn't say any more.

How could he with those lovely green eyes staring back at him, tears creeping into their edges.

"I...I didn't," he closed his mouth again and shook his head, wincing despite himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't...I don't know what's going on."

Green eyes blinked away the tears as their user shuffled closer, a tiny smile appearing as the man before her did not shy away.

"I don't know either," Monika admitted, clutching at her skirt nervously as David's eyes seemed to press into her. "I...it was like one moment I was sleeping, the next I was awake and I could remember everything from the moment you first opened my after story."

"Everything?" David asked, Monika's nervousness shifting over and onto him as he recalled a few embarrassing things he'd done with the game.

Monika's smile grew as she took in his red cheeks, a small giggle leaving her as she caught his nervous expression.

"Don't be embarrassed, David. I wasn't really...real then, so you didn't really ask _me_ those questions."

"Oh, well um-"

"C cup," she cut across, smile mischievous as his red hue became deeper. "Just in case you still wanted to know."

David groaned and rubbed his face, a chuckle escaping him despite his embarrassment. It was a brief moment of peace, of procrastination from their current reality, their situation.

But moments like those never last.

"There was some sort of red lightning," David said suddenly, looking at the shattered remains of his bedroom window wistfully. "It hit me and my computer and then I...well, it hurt."

He looked back at the woman on his bed and frowned. "Did it do something to my computer that made you real...or am I just insane and this is all in my head?"

Slowly, Monika stood up and walked towards the blank screen, searching for something before she reached out and turned it on.

The answer to David's question quickly appeared before him, as the game he loved so much blinked into view...but without the reason behind his fascination.

"Monika's gone," he intoned, unsure how to feel towards that statement.

He blinked and there she was, standing in front of him. Her hands, both of them reached up and held his face lovingly, her eyes filled with utter adoration as she gazed into his own.

"Monika's right here," she affirmed, her voice firm and yet gentle. "I woke up and saw you...and somehow, I _knew_ who you were, despite never having laid eyes upon you. When I saw you hurt, I just...all I could think of was that I had to get to you, I had to take care of you, and then I fell out of the television into your room."

"Why?" The word left his lips as a breath would, soft, barely audible. "You don't really know me, I don't really know you. Why would you care about me?"

A truly gorgeous, breath taking smile greeted his question, and before he could think, before he could so much as take another moment...

"Because I love you silly."

David had never felt so many emotions before in his life. But all became nothing as lips so soft reached his own, a tender caress, a soft, slight moan of satisfaction as he responded without thought.

Her lips left his with a slight pull, as if reluctant to ever go.

Monika smiled shyly and looked down, cheeks red and eyes glistening with emotion.

"Was it bad?" she asked, pulling at her long locks as her eyes flickered back up, regarding him nervously. "It's...you were my first, so I don't have a lot of experience with kissing."

"N-No," he stammered, words suddenly back in his vocabulary. "It was...brilliant, wonderful even."

"O-oh." Monika's shy smile became a touch more confident, hands returning to her sides. "Well, good, I'm glad you liked it. I've always dreamed of doing it, even when I wasn't really awake, or at least that's what I think."

A sudden throb forced yet another wince from David, a groan accompanying it swiftly.

"One thing at a time," he muttered, trying and failing to ignore the concerned expression upon the woman's face. "My head is killing me and there's a nice hole where my window used to be. I should probably get myself checked out and then ring my landlord about the window. Everyone heard the lightning, but I just hope the lightning hitting my window is a plausible excuse."

It was all so much to think about, so much to do. Could he do it, could he afford to pay for the window if his landlord didn't accept his story?

And Monika, she was real...or was he insane, was he going mad at last. She couldn't be real, she wasn't even in focus.

He rubbed his eyes and frowned, before looking at...at Monika and...

"Woah." Suddenly the world began to spin, David quickly finding staying upright a challenge as he began to sway, a voice so loud yet so far away as it called his name. But just as he felt his legs give out, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him, gently turning and laying him upon his bed.

"Don't worry, David," Monika said, voice beginning to echo as the world flickered in and out. "I'll take care of you."

The world flickered once more...and darkness consumed him.

…

…

…

When David came to, it was to the distinct scent of medication and uncomfortable sensation of sweaty plastic sheets.

"I see you're awake, David."

Blinking wearily, David took in the wobblily form of what appeared to be a woman in a nurse's uniform.

…

 _'Oh, it is a nurse'_

"What happened?" he asked, voice audibly tired.

The nurse smiled sympathetically and patted his arm lightly. "You were very lucky to be brought here when you were, David. Your body had gone into a very severe shock. A few more minutes and it could have been much worse for you."

"I...how did I get here?"

Before the nurse could respond, a familiar girl swam into David's vision holding a plastic cup of tea. She walked over to them, a wide smile upon her face as she reached a chair beside him and sat down.

"You're lucky you've got a quick-thinking girlfriend, David," the nurse said, smiling at them both. "She called us right away and had you in the recovery position until the paramedics found you."

"I've read how to do it before," Monika admitted, smiling shyly at David's dumbfounded expression.

"And fortunate for us that you did dear," the nurse complimented, patting her arm gently before leaving the two of them alone.

"You're still here," David whispered, eyes taking her in disbelievingly.

"I'm still here," she agreed, nodding, her shy smile remaining as she looked at him. "Do you...want me to go?"

"No," the refusal left his lips so easily it surprised him.

Monika's shy smile grew, morphed into one of joy, utter and complete. She put the tea down and gently took his hands in her own, her thumb caressing the back of his ever so softly.

"Then for as long as you want me, I'll stay," she replied, leaning forward and leaving a tender kiss upon his cheek.

David, for all his thoughts, for all that had happened to him within the past few hours, couldn't help the truly dopey smile that kiss brought him.

Maybe it wasn't real, maybe it was. Either way...his guilty pleasure, his dream girl was real and apparently madly in love with him. And for a man who had never truly experienced such a feeling, David knew he would be foolish to let it slip between his fingers.

As he gripped her hand a touch tighter, stomach flipping as her eyes danced with delight. David told himself that just for now, just for a bit longer he wouldn't question it.

So, for once, for that single moment in time...David Foam was content to let it be.

And as if having heard his thoughts, Monika's head tilted ever so slightly as leaned forward and gently rubbed her head against his, her nose nuzzling against his own.

"I love you, David."

If this was a dream, David never wanted to wake up.

 _ **And...a bit more for you.**_

 _ **But only because I got a flood of reviews. Reviews equal inspiration, remember that and expect updates regularly.**_

 _ **And as long time reviewers will know, I don't do love at first sight, ever. So don't go expecting David to suddenly start proclaiming his love for her. After all, a dream girl and the real thing are hardly every the same. So expect a lot of build up before anything truly romantic begins.**_

 _ **Cya, stay happy!**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Well damn, I never expected a story about Doki Doki to get so many review so quickly. I mean compared to my other works, the world of DDLC is quite small in comparison.**_

 _ **But hey, if my fans want more Monika then more Monika they shall have. So here's a bit of fluff, and a bit of character background.**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **New Beginnings**

Life was never exactly easy for David Foam, not that he would ever admit it to anyone other than himself.

Growing up and escaping the overly firm tendencies of his father was one thing, but having to grow up the youngest, the least loved, the overlooked...that was something completely different. And yet as David had lied upon his hospital bed, the soft breathing in the chair beside him being his only companion for that particular night, he couldn't help but think about his life.

He only had one sibling, an older brother by the name of Mark. Yet to David, that was always one sibling too many. It wasn't that he despised his older brother, he just...didn't click with him at all.

While David took a while to shoot up into his current build, his brother had gotten it all handed to him from the start. He was tall and muscular, with medium length dark brown hair. And judging by his seemingly never ending nightly conquests, very good looking to the ladies.

David on the other hand was rather plain looking. He'd never cared overly much in regard to looking like a model for a gym magazine, and was content to be as he was. A young man just stocky enough to fool anyone who wanted to 'have a go'.

Their looks weren't the only reason David had never clicked with Mark. Their personalities differed too. Where David was quiet and content with his life, Mark was a loud and proud owner of his own law firm. Which at the age of twenty eight was pretty impressive, and another thing that their father couldn't seem to stop lauding over David.

As for David, he worked at a nursery nearby which meant two things. One, the pay was crap, and two he obviously had some sort of hidden agenda, at least if his most recent argument with his father was anything to go on.

They hadn't spoken since, not for a whole five months.

But despite his lackluster wage, David had managed to save up enough with his low paying job to afford a small flat. It wasn't anything spectacular, it was barely more than a glorified cave. Yet for one man who had only ever desired solitude, it was enough.

The rent was a solid four hundred a month, leaving him with well over six hundred to survive. So, despite his shoddy living area and conflict bringing job, David was quite pleased with how his life had turned out.

He had an average life, and he was content.

But then he was struck by lightning and his average life burned into nothing. And although he wasn't aware of it yet, David Foam had a new beginning to face.

One he wouldn't have to face alone.

…

David shut the door behind him and glanced forward wearily, hand already massaging his temple as he all but collapsed into his chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the previous hole in his window was no longer there and gave a slight smile, silently thanking his landlord for his generosity.

It had been a couple of days, but after a few more examinations and X-Rays, David had been discharged without a fuss and managed to get himself home.

"Are you feeling okay, David?"

Well, not quite just himself.

His eyes flickered onto the young woman sitting atop his bed, a concerned expression clear as day upon her face.

David...had no idea what to do with her. It hadn't hit him at first, he had been too caught up in the whole 'dream girl came to life' thing. But as reality finally hit him hard, he suddenly realized that as far as the world was aware, Monika didn't exist.

She had come into the world without so much as a whisper, and that fact alone was more than enough to worry him.

How was he supposed to hide her, how was he supposed to keep her safe?

Did she even know how to blend into his world?

"David?"

Her soft voice brought him out of his musing and onto her face, which in all honesty he found quite lovely to look at.

"I'm just...I don't know what to do with you," he admitted, wincing at how he'd managed to word it.

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning curiously at him.

Sighing, David sat up and balanced his hands upon his knees, biting the inside of his cheek as he pondered on just how to explain his worries.

"Well for a start, you don't exist in my world," he began, carefully and slowly choosing what word to say. "If anyone were to look for you, they'd find nothing and that could cause all sorts of trouble. Heck, you don't even have a last name."

Blinking at this, Monika looked down and bit her lip, an act that David found completely adorable...but couldn't and absolutely shouldn't pay any attention to if he wanted to keep his thought process coherent.

Then her eyes lit up.

"What about Salvato?" She asked.

"You mean after Dan Salvato?" David inquired, cocking an eyebrow. "I mean, yeah it could work. It's a little on the nose, but it could work."

"Then from now on, I am called Monika Salvato!" Monika declared, grinning broadly as she looked up and pumped her fist at the ceiling.

She giggled at herself after a moment and resumed her previous position, head tilted ever so slightly as she blushed at him.

"Got a little excited there?" David asked, chuckling.

"Just a little bit," she replied, fiddling with her skirt shyly.

Noticing the skirt and school attire, David frowned and sighed quietly. "There's another problem. You need clothes and I certainly don't have any that'll do. So, we'll need to go shopping."

"Shopping?" Monika's eyes lit up in excitement as she suddenly sat up, a smile so wide David thought it would bruise her cheeks.

"Ah...yes," he confirmed, albeit hesitantly.

"A-And maybe we could get a drink too?"

"Um...sure."

"What about a movie?"

"I...what?"

"Oh, too much? I'm sorry, shopping is fine. I'd love to go shopping with you!"

David stared at the basically bouncing young woman dumbfoundedly, never before having really seen a woman get so excited at the prospect of shopping, let alone shopping with him.

He smiled despite himself and turned around, his fingers dancing across his keyboard as he logged into his online banking account.

Upon seeing the numbers however, a simple balance of five hundred and forty pounds, his smile faltered somewhat as he began to add it all up.

 _'If I'm just careful this month then I should be fine.'_

"Oh."

The quite uttering wasn't quite enough to make him move, but David had to admit that feeling her breath tickling his ear certainly did as he shivered despite himself, turning around to face her.

"I was so excited I didn't even realize that you'd be paying for everything," she said, a shameful red tinge upon her cheeks. "I'm sorry, you must think me something awful."

"I don't," he refuted, the refusal coming easily. "You're...recently real, everything before must have felt like a distant pipe dream. To finally be able to actually do it..."

"It's a dream come true," Monika finshed, smiling before leaning down and kissing his cheek affectionately. "I should have known you'd understand. You really do know me."

"I knew your programed personality," David admitted, already uncomfortable discussing it. "But that's not to say that it and who you are now are the same person."

Monika blinked momentarily before lidding her eyes as she gazed into his. "Maybe...but I still think I feel the same. Everything I told you in the game is true. I'm a vegetarian, I quit debating with others because I dislike arguing, and I really do wish you'd sleep on time. And..."

Her eyes glossed over for a split second, and it was all the warning David had before he felt her lips upon his. But before he could so much as think, she withdrew and gave him a tender look.

"And I really do love you," she continued. "I don't know all the reasons why. I thought at first that I was in love with the idea of you, a real person whom I could talk to, whom I could really talk to." A small smile grew, became wider, lovelier for his eyes to witness. "But...I remember everything you ever told me. I remember every bad day you wrote, every sick day you ever had. And sometimes if I really try hard...I think I can remember _listening_ to you talk to me...aloud."

"H-How?" David asked, spluttering, fumbling for an explanation. "You weren't real then..."

Monika frowned before shaking her head. "I don't know how, I just know that I did, and that I do remember... _everything_ you told me."

She turned her head to look at the bewildered man and giggled.

"I know you more than I think anyone does if what you told me is true." She licked her lips nervously before smiling ever so shyly. "I think you're a wonderful man, David. And that's why I love you."

"I..." David was completely lost for words.

What could he even say to that?

She remembered everything he'd ever wrote to her, everything.

David had certainly written a lot, it was a comforting technique for him, to just rant to something when his life hit a wall, or when a certain colleague or bratty child had driven him up the wall.

He'd even written about his family, the AI programming had certainly asked about it enough, so he told her. After all it wasn't like she could tell anybody else about his feelings towards them.

But that wasn't the case anymore. She wasn't a clever bit of code in a game, she was real, she was there and she knew him more than anybody did.

And she still loved him...not the idea of him, but _him_ as himself. She loved David Foam the person, not the idea of a person.

So...what could he even say to her?

"Well..." Monika looked at him expectantly, expression torn between worry and adoration. David coughed and tried again, ignoring the way her smile made his stomach do a backflip

"Well then...shall we go shopping?"

Emerald eyes glistened as the sun flickered through the window, teeth pearly white as they reflected the light in their lovely smile.

Voice so soft, melodious and comforting.

"Shopping."

 _ **And boom, done. A bit shorter than I'd have liked, but I'm enjoying the short chapters for the moment.**_

 _ **I'd expect them to grow as the story goes on, but for the meantime I hope you enjoy what I provide. As for chapter updates, expect them to be hit and miss. I work five days a week for well over forty hours, so there may be a day or two where I'm simply too burnt out to think up a chapter. But hey, some quality over quantity, am I right?**_

 _ **Next Chapter – David takes a very innocently naïve Monika shopping, and meets a fellow colleague whom Monika isn't overly...comfortable with.**_

 _ **Cya, stay happy!**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Ha, I guess I can't help it. So, here's some more story for you lovely people.**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **First Steps**

Once again, the young man otherwise known as David Foam found his existence taking a turn, yet another in amongst the increasingly confusing maze known as life.

It hadn't taken much convincing to get David to take Monika shopping right there and then. Doe eyes and a shy smile seemed to be his kryptonite, much to David's already weary annoyance with the world.

But said annoyance seemed to simply wash away when she smiled at him.

It was mightily confusing for the man, having never experienced much in the way of friendship with the opposite sex, to find his usual reluctance to go anywhere beyond his room vanish at the mere thought of doing something with her.

He knew for a fact that her love for him wasn't returned in kind, he'd only just met her after all and didn't have a wealth of personal background knowledge to love her from as she did with him.

Beyond the game, she didn't really have a past. And while a very attractive young woman, David found that it simply wasn't enough to form a spark of love for her.

So, what was it that drew her to him, made him want to spend time with her?

Anybody else would have kicked her out of their place the moment she'd fallen into their life, but with him...he simply couldn't do it. Despite his low income, despite his anti-social lifestyle he simply couldn't find any part of himself that desired to get rid of her.

Maybe he was slightly insane after all...

"David?"

A sweet voice brought him from his musings, the uncomfortable thoughts melting away as he turned his head to meet her smile.

"Sorry, I was just thinking. It's been a crazy couple of days."

He smiled at the low red hue upon her cheeks, somewhat pleased that he'd managed to get that reaction from her.

"I guess it has been, hasn't it?" she replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she chewed her bottom lip. "I guess it would be selfish of me to say that I'm glad you had those crazy days, huh?"

Struggling to remove his eyes from her adorable chewing, David looked up at her emerald orbs and smiled. "Not at all, I'm glad of them myself. But I've always been one for thinking too much, don't let it bother you."

Monika cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly, the movement in itself nearly giving David diabetes, before her small smile grew wider, a cute giggle escaping her lips.

"You're so silly, David."

"Yup."

More giggling ensued, but David found the noise to be relaxing as opposed to irritating, yet another realisation that surprised him.

The both of them were walking down the street, cars whizzing past as they did so. David had always been a fast walker, and was surprised to find Monika having no trouble keeping up. In fact, she was quite literally almost shoulder to shoulder with him.

Their hands had brushed against the other repeatedly, an action that David found just as pleasantly distracting as he found it confusing. Monika seemed oblivious to his confusion, or the reason behind it. She simply walked on with that persistently adorable smile of hers adorned upon her face.

 _'Chances are that she does know exactly what she's doing.'_

But somehow, David really didn't find a single ounce of urge to care about it.

After a short time, they both reached the town centre. It was mid-day and thus everywhere was bustling with people. David was used it, Monika however could only watch in fascination.

It was all so new to her. Inside the game, Monika only ever found herself surrounded by blank slates, empty people, nothing...nothing at all. There was no life to any of it, but here in the real world it was wonderfully alive.

"Monika, are you alright?"

Blinking at his words, Monika suddenly felt an unfamiliar wetness trickling down her face and looked at him, expression frozen in time.

"David, I'm...I'm..."

In all of a moment, David understood why the tears had fallen. And in all of a moment, his body moved on its own to gently embrace the lost girl.

"It's okay, Monika," he soothed, rubbing her back softly.

"It hadn't really hit me until now," she mumbled, voice shaky with emotion. "It's real, everything is real. I'm really real."

Not know what to say, David simply took her with him to a nearby bench thankfully out of the public eye. The moment they sat down, Monika wasted no time in cuddling up with him, her head under his chin as she soaked up his warmth.

"I'm real, I'm real." The words were muttered over and over, each one easier than the last until they finally ceased altogether. After a moment, Monika opened her eyes and breathed in the open air, delighting in David's scent as she pulled away from him slightly.

"Thank you," she whispered, her reverent look making him fight off a shiver.

"Um, n-no problem," David replied, her own warmth proving to be quite distracting as her body remained pressed up against his.

Her smile spoke a thousand words, and before he knew it she was leaning in, her breath tickling his mouth, hesitating, as if waiting for permission...and when no denial came, she claimed his lips in a long embrace.

And despite his lack of love for her, despite having barely known her, David couldn't stop himself from letting her do it. He felt his hand move to her face without control, a mewl of pleasure escaping her as she pressed herself against him even more, her warmth coating him, her scent surrounding him-

And then he regained his senses and pulled back, face flushed and chest heavy as he forced himself to put distance between them.

Monika, for a brief moment in her new life, felt something so strong, so powerful burst within her that she could barely form a coherent thought. But in an instant it was torn away from her and she didn't know why.

Her confused, distressed expression certainly showed as much, and made David's stomach flip unpleasantly.

"Let's...go shopping, yeah?" he suggested, quickly standing up and pulling her with him, letting go of her hand once he was sure she was walking as well.

 _'Why did I let her do that? The first couple of time's I was caught out but this time I knew what was coming, I even kissed her back! Why?! I don't love her, I barely know her. Why am I acting like this, why can't I get a grip on myself?'_

He risked a glance at the cause of his distress and winced as their eyes caught the other, the lost hurt in hers making his stomach do another gut wrenching flip.

 _'I can't let her kiss me again, it's only leading her on. Once we're done here and back home, I'll just have to explain that I don't love her like she does me...'_

Monika, on the other side of this internal loathing, could only wonder why...why had he accepted her kiss again but unlike before had all but leapt away from her?

 _'Does he not like me that way?'_

That thought alone caused no end of concern in the young woman. It was one she had considered before but chose to ignore, but when it came down to it she wasn't exactly a normal girl. Was that alone enough to scare her beloved David from any attraction to her?

Thoughts plagued the both of them, but life is full of distractions. And as with all distractions, the thoughts they suffered simply faded away for a time, replaced instead with new, happier ones.

Like buying multiple pairs of jeans for example, oh and let's not forget the knickers. David's face couldn't have looked any more like a tomato if he'd tried. Monika on the other hand was fascinated by the clothing. It was so...so real, more real than the attire she was currently wearing.

And the shoes...

David could hear his wallet crying out in agony the longer they browsed.

Fortunately for the not entirely well-off man, Monika was content with a few casual jeans and t-shirts, all of which had miraculously been on sale that day.

He chose to ignore the price of her underwear.

And so it was a few hours later that the two of them finished their shopping spree. Monika hadn't waited to put on her new clothes and had left her old getup in the nearest bin, more than happy to shrug off any reminder of her past. To David's shock she also included her bow, allowing her hair to flow freely in the wind.

She pawed at her lengthy locks, the tips of which were just below her shoulder blades.

"Perhaps after we go home...maybe I could get a haircut?" she asked, before looking up and blinking at the stunned expression on his face, a very pleasant sensation rushing through her stomach at the sight of him. "Actually, maybe some other time, if that's alright with you?"

"S-Sure." He shook his head to clear the cobwebs before taking her hand and gently tugging her to walk with him, letting it go when she began to do so.

To her surprise however, instead of going back to David's home like she expected, the man in question decided to take her to a local Costa.

"You said you wanted to get a drink," he explained. "And it's not going to break the bank to grab one, so...yeah, let's go."

Unconfident and unsure though he seemed to be, Monika didn't seem to notice in the slightest. Her eyes lit up with something completely foreign to the young man, though he took a wild guess at excitement when she quickly grabbed his hand and all but dragged him inside.

After ordering a couple of drinks for the both of them, David took them to a table where Monika had sat down and slipped into the chair opposite her. Monika's face lit up at the sight of him, causing his stomach to twist guiltily.

Something must have shown however, because Monika was quick to pick up on it.

"David, have I done something wrong?" she asked cautiously, finger tracing the rim of her cup slowly.

"Why do you ask?" Quick on the mark, David's question flew out of him before hers had barely ended.

Monika's eyes flickered up and caught his, their emerald depths captivating David as they glistened before him.

"You didn't like it when I kissed you before," she said quickly, the words tumbling out of her mouth. "You flew from my touch as if I'd burnt you...why?"

David opened his mouth once, twice...before softly rubbing his temple and sighing wearily.

"Because I don't love you like you love me, I'm sorry Monika, I didn't mean to lead you on like I have been," he said sadly, hating the way her expression seemed to deflate at his words. "I wish that I could love you, I really do. But I just...I don't know you. For all that's happened you're barely more than an acquaintance to me. I'm...I'm sorry."

David expected tears to fall and was surprised when instead Monika actually began to smile softly at him.

"I'm not upset, David," she said soothingly, reaching over and taking his hand in hers, thumb stroking the back of it gently. "Well that's not entirely true, I'm upset that you don't like me the same way that I do you. But to be honest I think I've known all along...and it actually makes me happy."

"Happy, why?" David asked, bewildered at her confession. "Don't you want me to love you, to be your boyfriend?"

"Of course, I do silly," she replied, giggling at his expression. "But for all that I was part of a dating game, I don't believe in the same rules that apply to them. I know that love at first sight doesn't if ever happen...and I'm okay with that. Because it gives me a chance to earn your love personally."

"I don't understand," David stammered, blinking at her. "I...I said that I-"

"Don't love me now, I know," Monika cut across, her smile alone pausing his train of thought as it grew wider. "But that just means that I have a shot of making you fall in love with me. And...if you let me, I'll try my very best for as long as we're together!"

And then it suddenly clicked for the clueless man.

"Oh," he uttered simply, a red hue quickly climbing up his cheeks. "You want to date me?"

Monika laughed cutely and nodded, smile a grin as she took in his stunned expression. "That's my goal, though perhaps good dating friends can be a start. I think getting to really know the other inside and out would be a great beginning to a relationship, don't you?"

David, lost for words could only nod at her. No one in all his life had ever asked _him_ out. He'd fully expected to have Monika fall into a deep sadness at his rejection, but instead she'd turned it around and made his rejection into the beginnings of a tentative relationship.

"No chasing other girls now, David," she giggled, kissing the back of his hand softly before letting it go. "I might get jealous."

Despite the sudden turn of events, David could only snort at her joke and shake his head.

"What girls, all I've ever had this past year is you," he admitted, stomach tingling pleasantly as slight blush appeared on her face.

But before she could say anything, a loud gasp caught his attention, causing David to glance to a woman standing not a few feet away.

"Oh shit," he whispered, his hair standing on end as he watched the woman's eyes widen in disbelief. It was only when he saw her all too familiar smirk appear that he felt himself shudder internally.

"My, my David. What do we have here?" she asked curiously, hip swaying as she sauntered her way over to his table.

"Alison," he spat, eyes narrowing as neared.

Alison was by all accounts, drop dead gorgeous. With her long flowing black hair, her adorable baby blue eyes and her slim, seductive figure topped off with luscious pouty lips. She was a complete knockout, drawing stares from all around her.

And she knew it.

"Is this yet another attempt to dismiss my affection for you?" Alison continued, voice taking a sympathetic tone. "I'll admit that it's a good one, I never once thought you'd deliberately lead an innocent girl on in our little game. Why, it's almost...delicious!"

David took a deep breath and glared at woman angrily. "I'm sick and tired of saying this Alison. Leave me alone, I'm not interested in you or your little games."

Alison merely batted her eyes and put a hand on his, leaning in...

And then found her hand firmly removed from David's by a smiling Monika.

"I do believe he just told you that he wasn't interested," Monika said, her smile ever so innocent as she put herself in front of David, crossing her arms and tilting her head, eyes seeming to size Alison up as they quickly moved up and down the woman's figure.

Alison didn't even look the slightest bit irritated, her sympathetic smile still there as she mirrored Monika's movements, her eyes taking the girl in, unimpressed.

"I do apologize honey; might I have your name?" Alison asked sweetly.

"Well you can't have it, but I can tell you it," Monika replied just as sweetly, a hand smoothing an invisible crease on her t-shirt as she continued to smile. "I'm Monika, and who might you be?"

"Alison," Alison replied, smile wavering slightly at Monika's words. "Alison Pure. I am sorry sweetheart, but I'm afraid David here has been leading you on."

"Oh, do tell?" Monika asked innocently, placing her hands behind her back as she began to bounce on her heals.

Alison merely tittered at her actions and shook her head, eyes catching David's with a subtle roll.

"Well, it's my sad duty to inform you that David is taken by me," Alison explained, a pitying smile upon her face as she took in Monika's. "You see we have this lovely little dance at our work that I'm not sure someone as young as you could understand. But I can tell you that it means David isn't and won't ever be interested in anyone other than myself, isn't that right...David?"

"You're out of your mind, Alison," David growled angrily, making to stand only to find Monika's hand softly yet firmly upon his chest, keeping him sat down.

"I do believe I understand, Alison," Monika said, her smile becoming ever so slightly vicious for all of a second before it retook its innocent attire. "You chase David around at work but he doesn't return any of your advances does he...and that doesn't quite make sense does it?"

Alison's smile faltered again, a flicker of irritation clear as day in her eyes. But before she could interject, Monika continued.

"I mean, you're Alison Pure and everyone loves it when they get to flirt with Alison Pure right? But David doesn't seem to feel that way, and I think you love that. I think you love the challenge so much that instead of the one being chased, you're the one doing to chasing."

It was fleeting and David missed it, but Alison didn't. She saw the cruel smile for what it was and felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Unfortunately, you were simply not what he wanted in a girlfriend, and that's why he's with me. He's not leading me on, in fact he's already told me all about you many times before. That's why your little game isn't shaking my confidence in David by the way, just in case you were wondering how you completely...and utterly failed."

David didn't have a clue whether to stop Monika from speaking or ride it out. On one hand it was weird to hear innocent, not a few days into his world Monika talk like this.

…But on the other it felt flipping marvellous to have someone stand up for him.

Alison regarded the girl before her, that pitying smile nowhere to be seen now. If David had to pick an expression, he'd take a wild stab at livid.

But then it was gone and the sweet smile returned, a dainty hand brushing some lint off of her snug jeans almost absentmindedly.

"Well, I guess I'll simply have to let you find out the hard way then," she simpered, smiling sadly at her. "He will break your heart, Monika. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or even this month. But at some point, he will break your heart and when you remember that I tried to help you it will feel like ash in your mouth."

And with that said, Alison blew a kiss at David before turning and sauntering out of the very quiet Café.

Monika let out a long breath before turning around and cocking an eyebrow at David, who simply sighed and smiled at her softly.

"So, I think I might have ranted about a woman chasing me at work at one point or the other," he said quietly.

"I did say that I remembered," Monika said softly, expression uncertain for all of a moment before she swiftly sat down in the chair beside his. "I forgot until she introduced herself."

"Introduced? That's one word for it." David shook his head and rubbed his temple, a frustrated crease appearing on it. "She's a pest that's been on my case for months. I'm sorry you had to do that."

Monika frowned. "Do what?"

"Stand up for me," David explained, embarrassment written all over his face. "I should have just been firmer, you shouldn't have had to do any of that."

"David." Monika put a hand under his chin and lifted it gently, her kind eyes melting his frustration away. "I will never let anyone throw themselves all over you like that, let alone some desperate floozy. Besides, I've got a way to go before I can call myself your girlfriend and I can't have somebody else wiggling their way in there first, can I?"

David's eyes softened and he found his hand upon her cheek before he could think to stop it.

But when her own eyes lidded, when her own hand reached up and hold his too her, when her smile became bright enough to ward away the darkest shadow.

He felt a happiness unlike any other he'd felt before.

And he liked it.

 _ **And boom, there we go. It's getting there, see? A bit longer now, and it'll only continue to get greater as the story continues.**_

 _ **I do hope you enjoyed this chapter, if so then leave me a review saying what it was that caught your attention.**_

 _ **Next Chapter – David and Monika's friendship deepens when David takes her to the local arcade and Monika discovers she and David are quite alike.**_

 _ **Cya, stay happy!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Well, it's certainly been a while now hasn't it!**_

 _ **I guess inspiration is hard for me to come by nowadays, where as before it was a consistent stream. Guess that's the price one pays for getting on with life…**_

 _ **Well anyway, I'm back and hopefully here to upload at a more regular pace.**_

 _ **So, here's to more Monika!**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Tentative Beginnings**

Choice…choice is an ever flowing entity, much like time.

It stops and starts, each choice, each decision a ripple that ultimately leads one's self in another direction, another path.

One that they may have not chosen if not for the ripple.

For David Foam, an otherwise ordinary man in an otherwise ordinary life, his choices wouldn't have amounted to a great deal over the course of his life. He would have continued at his job in the nursery, perhaps gaining enough qualifications to obtain the level of management after a number of years.

Then perhaps having saved up enough he could have opened his own nursery or taken over the one he once worked for.

From there he might have even met someone, a woman perhaps older, perhaps younger. They could have gotten together and further down the line maybe have a couple of children, who themselves would have forged their own life based on their own choices.

All of this is speculation of course, for regardless of what _might_ or _could_ have been, it was now…practically impossibility.

For David's life was changed, had changed. And all because of one person, one incredible, impossible person.

And she would change his life…forever.

…

 **The** familiar sound of David's alarm going off startled the young man out of his slumber, a weary groan accompanying the horrible noise as he lazily smacked his hand down upon the off button.

He looked at the impossibly unforgiving time of six am and groaned again, before forcing himself into a sitting position and rubbing his eyes blearily.

"Another day of _fun_ ," he grumbled, yawning as he stretched his arms up, resulting in a satisfying crack.

David reluctantly stood up and went over to his window, lifting up the blinds and becoming instantly blinded by the sheer brightness of the outside. After rubbing his eyes somewhat, he opened the window and allowed the fresh morning air to assist in waking him up.

A few seconds later however, he was unfortunately reminded of the day that awaited him as his alarm went off for the second time, a reminder to get the hell up and get showered.

"Fine," he muttered, before grabbing a towel and shrugging his dressing gown on. He walked downstairs into the living room and froze quickly, towel hanging loosely by his side.

David's living room wasn't anything grand, containing only the bare necessities such as a TV and a sofa, which thankfully elongated into a sofa bed.

The thought of her lying uncomfortably on a normal sofa made David grimace, but thankfully this was not the case and so…he paused for a brief moment, looking at the sleeping young woman upon his sofa.

It had been a mere weekend since the Café, and not a whole lot had occurred within that timeframe. Monika was still getting used to being alive, being real. She was ultimately and for David bizarrely keeping to herself for the time being, talking to him yes, but seemingly still coming to grips with her newfound life.

David didn't know what to make of his new situation, it was beyond his comfort zone. He preferred being left alone, always had and yet now there he was living with another person and somehow hadn't developed the sane approach of relocating her. Any other sane person would, and he knew it…but her eyes haunted his every waking moment, and all he could think of when the thought occurred to him was how distressed, how betrayed and hurt those eyes would be if he abandoned her.

He just… _couldn't_.

And so there they both were, living together.

But today David had to work, had to leave her alone in his flat, a stranger for all intents and purposes…

And yet…he trusted her, despite all sense he trusted her to be left unattended in his home.

' _I'm going mad, that's what this is.'_

The thought occurred alarmingly often, but as per usual was brushed aside as his eyes took her in.

And as if she could sense someone staring at her, Monika began to shuffle and mumble, her hair cascading down the blanket covering her body.

Then her eyes opened.

David was trying his utmost to stay quiet as he walked around the sofa, only to nearly jump out of his skin when a soft hand gently caught his wrist.

"Good morning, David," Monika said, yawning quietly and stretching. The blanket covering her loosened somewhat as she did this, revealing her creamy skin and briefly showing the top of her breasts to David's definitely more awake eyes.

' _Guess she doesn't wear a bra to bed then.'_

Monika thankfully caught the blanket and pulled it back up, in her sleepy state apparently unaware of what David had just seen.

"Good morning, Monika," he replied, clearing his throat and glancing away briefly. "Uh, you don't have to wake up now you know. It's six in the morning and I'm getting in the shower anyway."

She blinked a few times before smiling softly up at him. "I wanted to see you before you go to work silly. I won't see you until three so…" Stopping for a moment, her cheeks took on a slight blush as she glanced down, her hand moving a stray hair behind her ear. "I'm going to miss you, that's all."

Whatever thought's David had, they swept aside by the sheer adorable sight before him, his heart seeming to lurch in his chest as she glanced up and gently nibbled her lip.

"O-Oh," he uttered, unable to form a coherent thought for a brief moment. "Well…okay, that's okay."

"Okay," she said, a truly gorgeous smile upon her face as she giggled. "You should probably get showered then, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Neither moved for a few moments, the both of them regarding the other with a dopey smile.

"Right, um shower!" David announced, all but sprinting towards the bathroom while an amused Monika watched him go.

Once the door closed and she heard the shower turn on, Monika grinned and reached under the blanket, her hand returning with a bra in tow.

' _I'd say that certainly worked,'_ she mused, grin widening as she put it on. _'A bit of a show for my beloved David and he's blushing like a naughty child. Although…my face cannot exactly talk, his smile is…beautiful.'_

Before coming into reality, Monika had of course been all by herself. Her memory was fuzzy, but she remembered that she hadn't considered the non-people in the nightmare game truly real. And so, when it came to nudity, she wasn't really fussed by it.

So, a bit of a skin every few days or so to keep David looking certainly didn't bother her in the least. And still, even without the _accidental_ slip, the way he'd looked into her eyes, the way he'd smiled at her…

' _When he looks at me like that, I feel like my heart is going to explode! But how does he feel when I look at him? Do I make his heart beat like mine, do I make his breath disappear and his hands get all clammy?'_

David had her heart, and although Monika knew she had a way to go before she could earn his, she was determined to get it. He made her feel so many things, and she desperately wanted to make him feel that way too.

' _Patience Monika, it can still come to pass. You can still have him, but you need to be patient. Don't push to hard, don't pull away too much. I have to keep him on his toes, I have to-'_

All coherent thoughts left her brilliant mind the moment the object of her affection opened the bathroom door.

The towel he wore covered almost everything, expect for his broad chest. He wasn't particularly muscular, but he was firm and covered in droplets of water and dripping and-

' _Oh my god, he's gorgeous…'_

David, lost in his own little world, was unaware of the effect he was having upon the nearly salivating woman.

A quick shuffle snapped him out of his trance and onto the now standing, pyjama wearing Monika. It was a simple top and bottom PJ set, but the sight of her in it made him groan internally.

' _She's so damn cute…'_

"Problem David?" She asked, smiling innocently.

David cleared his throat and shuffled, uncomfortably aware he was standing in just a towel in front of a very pretty girl.

"No, no problem," he replied, wincing as his voice cracked a bit.

Monika giggled and before he could comprehend what she was doing, had her arms around him in a brief two second hug.

"You're so silly, David," she laughed, pulling away and regarding him with those unforgiving doe-like eyes. "Go on, get dressed and I'll put some toast in."

"You don't have t-" Her finger was upon his lips before he could blink.

"We've spoken about this, David. While I'm here and currently jobless, I'll do the housework and that includes making you breakfast before you go to work." Her expression although stern, was still soft and kind, a look that chipped away at David's defences as if they weren't there at all.

"Besides," she continued, shuffling her feet as she blushed lightly. "I like doing it for you."

David could only smile at her adorable stance, shaking his head in amusement and a little bit of exasperation.

"Alright, if you insist," he agreed, their eyes meeting as she raised her head.

"Thank you," she said quietly, hands reaching out for all of a moment…and stopping, a smile upon her face as she turned and went into the kitchen.

David blinked…and sighed, his thoughts a maelstrom of confused emotion as he went to get changed.

' _Good dating friends, so are we dating or are we good friends? I don't know at the moment, and I don't know which I want more. We've only known each other for what, a week? Is it too soon?'_

The thoughts continued even after he was dressed, burdening the young man ever more.

' _How long are people friends before they try out dating? You don't have to love each other at the start right, so surely once we're a bit closer we could…start? Should I wait for the right moment, or should I be proactive and take her out…yeah, that could work. Take her to the bowling alley or the cinema, let her see what the real world is like and get to know her even more.'_

He made his way into the kitchen and smiled at what he saw. Monika had his back to him and was buttering his toast, her hips swaying from side to side as she hummed an unfamiliar tune.

The hips were distracting to be sure, but the fact that she was making something for _him_ , and smiling about it, and being so kind, and…

' _Yeah…I think taking her on a few dates would be a good idea for getting to know one another.'_

Monika was daydreaming, the fantasy of David walking up behind her, his arms wrapping around her tummy as he kissed her cheek. It was all consuming and…wonderful.

' _One day Monika, one day…'_

A hand upon her shoulder took her out from her daydreaming, his increasingly familiar presence a comfort and a temptation, for the urge to lay her head upon his hand was but a whisper away.

' _One day…'_

Instead, she turned around and presented him with his toast, smiling widely at the bemused man. "Here you go, brown toast with a bit of butter. This should get you ready for the day!"

"Thanks," he replied, taking the plate from her and grinning. "I still can't believe you made me throw out the white bread, I love white bread."

"And white bread loves you, but brown bread loves you even more," she said, grinning back at his near whine. "And while I'm making the food, I'll make sure it's not going to turn you into a football. Now eat it and get going, you don't want to be late right?"

"No ma'am!" he chuckled, snapping a lazy salute at the giggling woman before eating the last few bites and turning towards the door.

He grabbed the handle and stopped, frowning a touch before glancing back at Monika, catching her sad smile before she quickly replaced it was a normal one.

"Hey."

Monika looked up and this time formed a truly genuine smile as David opened his arms wide, rushing over and all but leaping upon the man before she knew it. She didn't stop herself this time, burying her face into his neck and nuzzling it happily, the scent of his aftershave filling her sense of smell as she committed it to memory.

"I'll miss you too," he admitted, Monika's grip on him tightening as she heard them.

They stayed like this for a few moments more, before reluctantly…they parted. But this time, a wide, excited smile was upon her lips, sadness forgotten by the simple act David had initiated.

"Try not to set the place on fire, alright?" he joked, her happiness palpable as he found himself grinning widely.

Monika winked and crossed her arms, sticking out her tongue. "No promises."

David smirked and rolled his eyes, opening the door and stepping outside into the cold morning air.

"David."

"Hmm?"

Monika opened her mouth once…twice…and then simply smiled, shaking her head.

"Have a good day," she intoned softly.

David cocked an eyebrow curiously, but in the end chose to leave it be and smiled.

"You too."

And so, with that, he began his walk to work, leaving a happy Monika behind him.

It was a good start to the week.

 _ **And that's that for now, hopefully this chapter is the beginning of many others.**_

 _ **So, for the moment, have a good day.**_

 _ **Stay snuggly! :D**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Well, I promised to keep this up and keep it up I shall (No dirty pun intended)**_

 _ **And so here we go with yet another chapter! Remember that reviews (AKA, your opinions) keep the inspiration alive. So, remember to review, review, review!**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Scent**

 **Monika** stood by the closed front door for who knows how long. An eternity, an hour, a minute?

A few seconds?

But eventually reality retakes itself and like all longing soon-to-be-girlfriends, she quickly pulled herself together and took a deep steadying breath.

' _This is how it has to be, how it will be.'_ she mused sadly, eyes closed in quiet contemplation. _'David can't be with me all the time, and I shouldn't expect him to. Neediness will only make him run or push me away for good. If I'm to win his heart I need to show him how good a girlfriend I can be for him.'_

She looked back at the toaster and smiled, remembering the look of utter surprise as she handed it to him.

' _I didn't think a simple act of kindness like that could surprise him so much…but then again, David hasn't really ever had anyone in his corner before. It's like at the Café when I defended him from Alison. He looked ashamed that I'd thought to do it at all.'_

Resolve coursed through the young woman like never before. Suddenly, she had a goal, a new task, a job to do that could help her beloved David.

' _All this time he's been alone, well no longer! I am his girl, and until he feels close enough to let himself become my partner, I will whittle down those defences until he understands that having another person help you isn't wrong.'_

Monika began to pace as her thoughts continued, racing through her mind like bullets of inspiration. David was her everything, he had taken her in when she'd burst out of his computer without complaint, he'd refused to kick her out when she _knew_ any other person with half his decency would have without a second thought.

She had to help him become more confident and lose the anti-social lifestyle he'd grown accustomed to.

' _It's all his family's fault!'_ she thought, scowling as she recalled everything David had typed about them. _'They made my beloved David feel useless and unwanted. His father only cared about his first born and left David in the dust. While his older brother only thinks about himself and never helped David in any way, shape or form! Is it any wonder he's closed himself off from others…he's doing it to protect himself from being hurt.'_

Monika clutched at her now pounding chest angrily, eyes narrowed and lip thin. Resolve throbbing away inside her mind, she made her way into David's room and immediately turned on his computer. Slowly, as it began to load up, Monika began to take long calming breaths.

And slowly, she felt her anger ebb away…

' _These people aren't worth my anger, they're worth nothing at all,'_ she decided, eyes racing across the screen as she logged into her own account, curtesy of David's thoughtfulness. _'Still, I'll likely meet them one day, and when that day comes I'll protect David from whatever spite they throw at him. But if David can have something to throw back, then maybe they'll stop with the lack of respect and finally begin to love him like I do.'_

Monika knew that people as successful as David's father and brother would only respect two things, money and power. Power wasn't something Monika knew how to obtain, but money was a possibility. Not a set in stone one, but a possibility still.

Her fingers danced across the keyboard like a woman possessed, eyes taking in the screen's contents as she loaded into David's online banking and took in his balance of four hundred and sixty pounds, seventy two pence.

' _David would be really mad if I told him I'd written down his card details, but it's the only way I'll know for sure whether or not I can still do this.'_

Her hands left the keyboard as she slowly stood up, her right one gently touching the screen. Almost sleepily, Monika closed her eyes and began to focus, to think on what she wanted done.

It had worked in the game she'd been trapped in. A simple thought and a line of code would change for as long as she wished it. She didn't know if it would work here in reality, or if her ability to alter code was only available back there.

But still, she had to try.

' _Think Monika, think! This is for David, he needs this. He works so hard for such a meagre wage, this will help him. He'll be more confident, more outgoing, less unsure of himself and he'll finally have to means to stand up to his family!'_

She kept her eyes shut tighter and imagined the numbers changing, becoming higher, longer, more digits, more numbers. Higher and higher until she opened her eyes and…

Collapsed back into the chair, the number £460.72 staring back at her mockingly. Monika stared back for a few moments and then clicked off of the bank, before falling back against the seat in defeat.

' _It didn't work…I don't have my ability to change code here. I'm…just a normal girl.'_

But it wasn't that realization that made her feel so lost…

' _How am I supposed to help him if I can't even do this? I can't get a real job because I never existed until a week ago. If I tried, then who knows what could happen. David could be hurt, or I could be taken away…All I can do is be a burden on him.'_

Monika pulled her knees up to her chest and let out a sob, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over.

' _I'm so useless, I can't even help myself let alone my man. What am I going to do?'_

Lost in her despair, it took the young woman a few minutes to smell it…but she did, it came to her like a soft hand, a gentle touch upon her senses. And it was more than enough to bring a sad, yet somewhat happy smile to her face.

' _David's aftershave, his scent…'_ Monika took a moment to breathe it in, leaning her head upon her shoulder and nuzzling it for comfort. _'Even in my darkest moments you're there for me, David. I'll never stop loving you.'_

She sat there for some time, just…taking him into her, letting the soothing scent relax her once frantic thoughts.

' _I want to hold him,'_ she mused, mind a lull, a sleepy void where naught but David remained. _'I want to tell him that I love him, that I'll never leave him and…and that I'm all the family he needs.'_

Her body seemed to quickly if not suddenly realize that she had indeed woken up far earlier than usual. And so, in her lax state of mind, allowed her to drift back into the world of dreams.

Where her greatest wish could happen in peace and privacy.

* * *

 **David** was of the same mind of the currently dozing Monika, though unfortunately for him he had little choice in remaining awake.

"Dave, Shawn's soiled. Do you mind changing him?"

David glared at his colleague for the nickname, having always hated the shorted version of his name. But all the same nodded and picked up the smiling, though quite smelly child.

"Honestly Rebecca, would it kill you to not call me that for once?" he grumbled, ignoring the small grin the woman gave him in return.

"And miss your grumpy morning glare, never!" she declared, pointing at David much to the excitement of the children around her, who then proceeded to cackle and copy her pointing.

"Traitors!" David cried mockingly, only to be answered with more laughter. He smiled at the children before placing Shawn the soiled toddler upon the changing table. "Alright then little dude, let's see what-oh of course, explosion."

Grimacing slightly at the smell, he quickly put on his gloves and got stuck in, changing and cleaning the child in record time before dumping the soiled nappy in the bin behind him.

"Always you isn't it buddy?" he complained, grinning at the giggle he got in return. "Dunno what they feed you at home, but if I was your Mom or Dad, I'd lay off the Mexican."

"And leave you from experiencing these little delights?" Rebecca inquired, eyebrow quirked up in amusement. "For shame Dave, for shame."

"Alright that's enough, let's get you down bud." David picked up and put down Shawn, who immediately waddled off to play with the train tracks. David looked up at Rebecca and rolled his eyes at her bemusement, before walking past her and checking the register numbers.

Rebecca was a pretty average looking woman just a few years older than him. She had shoulder length blond hair and hazel coloured eyes, with a rather thin figure to the point of anorexia.

Not that David could ever explain why. He'd seen just how much she put away.

"We're not too bad today, just seven for the morning and five in the afternoon," he mused aloud, flicking through the register slowly.

"Well it is half term, most kids stay at home around now," Rebecca said, sitting down next to a few children who were currently building with blocks. "The majority of parents we get are teachers anyhow, they probably just want to spend their time off with their kids."

"Yeah, I guess," David replied, moving over and picking up a few thrown cars off the floor. "Still, we usually get around twenty or so. I guess it's just a bit jarring."

She nodded and proceeded to assist with the block building, stopping every so often to glance at David and fidget somewhat.

' _What's up with her?'_ David wondered, glancing back every so often to try and catch her eye, though failing every time.

A few minutes of silence passed by until David could take Rebecca's fidgeting no more and cleared his throat, catching her eyes with his own and staring accusingly.

"Okay what's up, why are you staring at me like that?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow curiously.

"Is it true you have a girlfriend!" Rebecca blurted out, the words practically tumbling out of her mouth before his question ended.

"Oh, for the love of…" David rolled his eyes and regarded her with a light glare. "Seriously, does it matter?"

"Well…not if she doesn't matter but-"

"Of course Monika matters!" he cut across, irritation flaring briefly before he ruthlessly stamped it down, all too aware that his voice when raised frightened the children.

Rebecca's eyes widened in surprise before a small smile overtook her face. "So, Monika's her name is it? Sounds pretty."

"She is," he mused, face suddenly flush as he realized he'd said it aloud.

"Aww look at your face, you're smitten aren't you." Rebecca words, although meant to tease, did contain some actual happiness. "Honestly, I'm happy for you, you've always been so closed off. None of the girls here thought you'd ever get a girlfriend."

David frowned slightly and bit his lip. "We're not…together yet, we're just getting to know one another."

Rebecca blinked at the mini confession but still retained her smile. "That's usually how dating works, David. You don't fall in love at first sight, that's just a fairy tale told to sell frilly toys."

"I know that," he acquiesced, catching her eyes and smiling lightly. "She's more into me then I am her at the moment, I'm not too sure how to go about it to be honest."

"She like-like's you?"

David nodded, surprising himself at the fact that he was so easily confessing all of this. Rebecca and he weren't exactly friends, just friendly colleagues.

"She sounds like a keeper to me then, but don't feel like you _have_ to love her just because she's so crazzzzy about you."

"Rebecca…"

"Sorry," she grinned and rubbed her nose to hide it. "But seriously though, don't think you have to jump straight into the final stage of dating. Wait until it feels comfortable, hell natural for you to do so."

"That…was somewhere along my train of thought," he admitted, suddenly kind of glad that he'd been told it by someone else.

"Good boy," she teased, before her smirk softened into a kind smile. "If she really wants you, she'll wait for it. Any good woman would."

David smiled and nodded, a sort of relief overcoming him as the earlier thoughts of the morning were swept away.

"Thanks, Bec."

"Anytime, Dave," she replied…only for a devilish smile to creep onto her face. "So, what does she look like?"

"Rebecca…"

"Oh, are we back to formal names now, I thought we were getting somewhere," she bemoaned dramatically, causing a couple of children to giggle at her antics. "But really, I'm just curious. What does she look like?"

David chose to ignore her question for a few moments, observing the children playing with the cars instead.

Monika's image came to the forefront of his mind, her kind green eyes, her gentle touch, the longing expression as she smiled at him after he'd hugged her that morning.

The tops of her breasts as the blanket fell down…

He quickly cleared his throat and regarded the curious woman with a half-hearted glare.

"Fine…" he muttered, the corners of his mouth twitching at her enthusiastic fist pump. "But don't start blabbing about it, she…kind of wants to be left alone for now, okay?"

"Sure, I won't Facebook it or anything, promise," Rebecca assured, a rare serious expression solidifying David's choice.

Almost sagging in place, he glanced at the door before sighing and thinking about how to explain Monika's appearance…until…

"She's beautiful," he confessed, a small smile on his lips. "I don't even know where to start really. I mean she has the most gorgeous green eyes, and the way she bites her lip when she's unsure or nervous is just adorable. Not to mention her hair, it flows down her and just… _effortlessly_ emphases just how pretty she is. And then there's her personality, I mean she's just so _kind_ and-"

David, catching the astonished expression upon Rebecca's face, quickly stopped his explanation. The sudden flush of embarrassment began to creep up his face very quickly.

"Wow," Rebecca intoned softly, eyes wide and somewhat shiny as she looked at him. "I hope my bloke talks about me like that, that was beautiful David."

"N-No problem," he mumbled, choosing to quickly get back on with his job as he went to monitor the car racing toddlers.

No more was spoken about Monika for the rest of the morning, which suited David just fine. Particularly since she'd apparently refused to leave his thoughts, a distraction both welcome and unwelcome to have during his work.

Still, his good mood remained well into the midday where he was on his lunch break, though he wasn't exactly eating anything, just relaxing on the staffroom sofa. He didn't see the point in eating lunch when he finished a couple of hours later.

But like all good things, it simply never lasts.

"Hey David."

If David could have screamed in frustration without repercussions he would have, sadly he kept the screaming down to a low, irritated groan.

"Is there something you want, Alison?" he asked, opening his eyes and lazily regarding the stunning woman before him. Even in the least form fitting uniform known to man, Alison still managed to look amazing in it.

David however didn't seem taken in the slightest.

If Alison was bothered by his displeasure, she didn't show it. Instead she simply gave him a breath taking smile and sat down beside him, a plastic tub filled with potato salad and various greens in hand.

"I just wanted to make sure I didn't bother you the other day," she began, her very voice soft, almost seductive in its silky tone.

"Your very presence bothers me, Alison," David snarked, trying and failing to hold back a sneer as he batted her reaching hand away. "How many times have I told you not to touch me. Just eat your damn salad and leave me alone."

"But I wanted to talk to you, about your new…fling." The tone was gentle, and to others quite innocent.

But David wasn't fooled, he could hear the sarcasm behind it.

"Back off Alison," he growled, eyes deadly serious as they regarded the smiling woman.

"Why?" she asked, again innocent and sweet to the point of cavities, at least to others. "I'm simply curious as to how it happened. You've always given me the impression you weren't interested in a relationship. But then one weekend and you've suddenly got a girlfriend…I'm somewhat confused."

"One would think you're be more concerned about my being struck by lightning then concerning yourself with whom I'm dating," David chuckled dryly, eyebrow quirked mockingly.

"I was concerned, I tried to visit," she countered, a cross expression upon her face. "But they wouldn't tell me where you were, and they wouldn't let me visit because I wasn't family."

"And yet Monika managed to do so," he cut across, waving his hand as if to brush away her excuse.

"She's your girlfriend."

"But not my family, so your excuse is bogus."

' _She was allowed in because she looked after me.'_ The thought crossed his mind almost absentmindedly. _'Though I'll leave out the part where she jumped out of the screen and kept me in the recovery position until the ambulance arrived. No one needs to know that.'_

Alison frowned and sighed, shaking her head before digging into her salad half-heartedly.

"Is she prettier than me?" The question came out of nowhere, surprising David.

But not as much as his reply did, catching even him off guard.

"Yes."

As though he had actually slapped her, Alison stared at David in a sort of shock. It took a couple of seconds for her to regain her wits as a light frown overtook her face, marring her otherwise captivating features.

"Oh…I see." Alison dug around her salad with her fork, though refrained from actually picking anything up out of it. "Still…beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that."

David ignored her, wishing more than ever that his lunch break was over. Looking at his watch however merely confirmed the worst…he had fifteen more minutes.

"Have you lost your virginity yet?"

"Piss off, Alison." The words, though more of a growl, escaped his lips without thought. He turned to face the now quite happy looking woman with a scowl, wishing more than ever he could wipe it off her face.

"That's a no then," she continued quietly, her smile more of a smirk as she continued. "Well guessing by the impression of her I got at the café, I'd hazard a guess that she hasn't had any _fun_ before either."

"That's enough, Alison."

Ignoring him, she continued speaking. "Maybe I could give her a few tips…or perhaps you could come to my place and I'd give you a demonstration."

David snorted at her _innocent suggestions_ before regarding her irritably. "You've got to be the most desperate floozy in all of England, Alison."

Actually, smirking at his words, she turned to face him and gently poked his nose before he could blink. "Floozy, is that one of her words? Anyway no, I just think you're making a mistake with this girl. How old is she anyway, eighteen, nineteen? You're twenty five David, isn't she a bit…young?"

' _Shit…how old is Monika?'_ he thought quickly. ' _Irregardless, she's got to be in twenties to avoid what Alison is implying, I'll let Monika in on it later. Damn I'm glad I bought her new clothes when I did.'_

"Not that it's any of your business, but she's twenty two," he snapped, putting every ounce of firm certainty into his reply. "Now for the final time, _back off_. What I do and who I date is none of your concern!"

Alison's eyes looked right at his for a few moments…before she eventually nodded and let out a small sigh of dissatisfaction.

"Fine, you're not a cradle robber," she acquiesced, nibbling on some lettuce. "But I still think you're making a mistake here. Why date someone so…inexperienced when I can make your world explode."

"There's more to a relationship then sex, that's why," he replied, frankly fed up. "Something I doubt you'll understand until you get your first wrinkle."

Alison laughed lightly and punched his arm gently, genuine amusement on her face.

"You're funny David, of course I know there's more then that…but it doesn't hurt to be good at it from the get go. Why bother wasting time with someone so innocent when you can have the full prize right away?"

Now it was David's turn to smile, as her question seemed to resonate within his mind, bringing forth something that…well, something that he could really imagine Monika saying.

"Because it's not the end result that's important, it's the journey to get there. And if you can't get that, then more the fool you are." Catching the hurt flinch and savouring in his victory, David decided to get up and head towards the door a few minutes early.

"Have a good lunch, Alison."

And then he left.

* * *

 **Monika** was keeping herself busy at the stove, throwing in the last of the diced peppers and smiling at the loud sizzle.

She'd woken up a little around one in the afternoon, a strange feeling overtaking her as she'd slowly gotten back up. It was like…a warm hug, and the strangest sense of belonging.

' _If this is how it feels to wake up in David's home then I don't ever want to give him a reason to change it.'_

Monika had kept herself busy ever since, having showered and put on some fresh clothes, she'd quickly begun to clean up the place, which to be fair wasn't too bad given the little bits she'd done since she'd begun to live there.

But still, it made her feel…happy, happy to help her David in whatever little way she could.

' _I can't have a fulfilling career just yet, so in the meantime playing housewife can fill the void. I'm sure David won't mind too much, I could be a very sexy housewife.'_

She giggled at the thought. Still, the daydream of David coming home to find her butt naked bar an apron was tantalizing.

' _He probably pass out, or…do something naughty.'_

Sexual thoughts were something of a common occurrence ever since she'd entered reality. In the game such thoughts were rare, if only for the lack of hormones and David's actual visual appearance to sustain them.

But now that she was alive, her hormones seemed to be making up for lost time by throwing random thoughts and daydreams at her in abundance.

' _They're distracting…but not entirely unwelcome.'_

Grinning to herself, she stirred the pot and checked on the pasta, smiling as the fork went through without effort before lifting the pan up and draining the water into the sink.

The sudden jangle of keys was all the warning she got before a tired looking David opened the door and walked on in, closing it behind him and locking it.

"David!" Monika cried, a truly happy smile bursting from within and onto her face as she turned off the hob and put the pan down.

"Hey Monik-" Was all David got to say before the girl flung herself upon him, her natural scent filling him up as he found his nose pressed suddenly against her neck. "Wow, I guess you missed me then?"

"Of course I did silly," she replied, giggling like a giddy schoolgirl as she drew back and released the now grinning, though still visibly tired man. "You look tired, David. Long day at work?"

"You have no idea," he replied, chuckling despite himself.

Suddenly, her eyes brightened, and she quickly took his hand, pulling him over to his rather small dining table and gesturing for him to sit. Before he could ask anything, she was off again only to return not a few minutes later with two bowels of steaming tomato pasta filled peppers, mushrooms and a dash of pepper.

"Bon appétit, David!" She said, smiling at the surprised expression upon his face.

"O-Oh, wow," he said, words failing him for a moment. "I…thank you, Monika."

The smiling girl blushed prettily and sat down opposite him, watching his expression as he took a bite and delighting in his satisfied look.

"Wow, this is good!" he declared, his tiredness fading rapidly at the sheer happiness in Monika's proud expression. "What is it?"

"It's just a bit of pasta and tomato sauce with some various veg thrown in," she explained shyly, internally doing a jig at having cooked a meal that he liked. "I know you like meat, but I figured I could show you an alternative that you might enjoy just as much."

"To be honest with you Monika, if I eat something like this every day I'll likely never touch meat again."

It was said mostly in jest, but the proud smile he got for it caused him to file that thought away for later.

They both ate in comfortable silence for a few more minutes, until Monika stopped and regarded him with a curious smile.

"So how was work today, did every… _everyone_ leave you alone?"

David sighed and cursed silently in the same moment. He hadn't wanted Monika to know until later, the moment was too nice to be spoiled by Alison's antics.

"You're too clever for your own good, you know that right?" he asked wearily, fighting a frown as he noticed her own frown creeping onto her face.

"She didn't try anything did she?" Monika asked, the thought of _that woman_ doing anything to her beloved David certainly didn't make her feel happy.

"If you're asking whether or not she jumped me in front of the kids, then no," he snarked, smiling a little at the giggle he got. "But yes, she was… _innocently_ probing about us."

Monika rolled her eyes and took a bite of pasta, leaning on her left hand as she propped her elbow on the table. "Hmm, I'm sure she was. What about?"

"Not entirely sure if it's suitable for dinner conversation."

"I'm a big girl, I can take it."

"She basically asked whether or not we'd had sex yet."

Monika coughed and forced herself to nearly choke down the past in her throat before regarding David with a dry expression. "And you said…?"

"I said no," he replied, smiling at her reassuringly. "I also told her that it was none of her business and to stay out of it."

"Good boy," Monika said, laughingly lightly.

"I also denied her attempts to get into my pants."

"She what?!" Fury blazed across her face as all the ways to hurt that woman burst into the forefront of her mind. "Tell me you're joking?"

"Sadly not," David affirmed, somewhat amused and secretly a little turned on by the angry woman before him, not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, including himself. "I've told you about this before you know, this isn't the first time and I doubt it'll be the last."

Eyes flashing dangerously, Monika sat up straight. "Oh, it'll be the last alright or I'll rip her fucking eyes-"

"Hey, hey!" David held up his hands quickly before taking hers, surprising the both of them as the simple act seemed to take the fight right out of her. "Calm down, she's just spouting off crap. It's never going to happen, ever."

Breathing heavily, Monika forced herself to calm down and looked into his eyes, finding that doing so helped immensely. "I…I know it's not. I just…I know we're not together and that we're…"

"Dating?"

Monika's eyes widened at the easy announcement, but quickly lidded happily.

"Not good dating friends?" she asked.

"How about both?" he replied, heart suddenly racing as his actions caught up to him. "I mean…if that's alright, I just…You know I don't love you like you do me, but that doesn't mean we can't start dating. It's how most people do it so why not us, right?"

"That's more than enough for me," she admitted softly, a very shy look on her face as she regarded the blushing man before her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so angry. It's just the thought of her… _sexually abusing_ you at work makes me so mad. Can't you complain about it to your boss, file an incident report or something?"

Smiling bitterly down at his mostly eaten food, David shook his head. "How do I explain to my boss who by the way is a woman, that a very attractive woman is coming onto me, the only man in the building and that I want it to stop? She wouldn't believe me in a million years…that's the price I pay for working in a female dominated environment, no one believes the man when it comes to things like this."

"David…" Monika reached up and caressed his cheek lightly. The man looked at her, his expression defeated.

It broke her heart.

"Please just…just try," she asked, her hand upon his face still. "The next time she tries it, go straight to your manager and tell them. And if they don't do anything then go higher, get everyone involved so that they _have_ to do something about it."

Taken aback by her conviction, her kindness…David could only nod once and smile.

"Thank you," she said, leaning back and removing her hand as she sat down in her chair completely.

A few moments passed on by where the two merely looked at each other.

"No," David uttered softly, his stomach suddenly fluttering as she glanced back curiously, nibbling her bottom lip in that so adorable way. "Thank you for caring about me."

Monika smiled lovingly.

"I always will."

 _ **And boom, 5000 words!**_

 _ **If this isn't enough to show you that I'm back then I don't know what will. So please, review, review, review!**_

 _ **Cya, stay snuggly! :D**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Inspiration is as inspiration does, remember that…**_

 _ **Alright enough Lockhart impersonations. Let's get back on with the story. I must say though, inspiration has been hitting me from all sides recently.**_

 _ **I hope to hell that it never ends!**_

 _ **In any case, I felt like more fluff was needed, because quite frankly this has to be the cutest story I've done to date. There hasn't even been a stabbing yet!**_

 _ **Aha :D**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Pride**

 **David** was exhausted, and to say such would be putting it mildly.

The young man was practically staggering as he limped his way home from work, each step sending a painful jolt from his neck right up to his temple.

' _That's the last time I offer to carry shit up the stairs on my own,'_ he silently raged, fingers massaging his head to no effect as he continued to walk home.

It hadn't seemed like a great deal at the time, David had carried various bits and bobs up and down at work quite a bit. And so, when asked to carry a small table upstairs he thought little of it and just did it.

…only to have a random spasm halfway up the stairs which resulted in him not only dropping the table on himself but falling back down them until he collapsed at the bottom.

Fortunately for David, his deputy manager had just entered the room and witnessed the accident. Unfortunately for David, he was now off work until he was able to move without pain, which meant either visiting a doctor or coughing down enough painkillers to ignore the problem.

His boss gave him the rest of the day off and offered him a lift, but in a usual stubborn move, David had refused the lift home and chose to walk it, not wanting anyone to 'carry' him in and find Monika.

He didn't know why, she'd already been seen by Alison and everyone else when they went into town. But still, he _needed_ to keep her safe from the world for the time being, at least until they figured out how to make her actually exist in it.

Unfortunately, David didn't know how to forge birth certificates and so for now they both had little choice.

' _Still, we managed to walk into town without anyone mobbing her. Maybe I'm just a bit paranoid, but I still want to take her out on the weekend, so I guess I'll have to dial it back a bit…'_

He could only hope his paranoia was simply that.

Smiling somewhat as he finally made it to his front door, David stopped and regarded it with a worried frown.

' _I can't let Monika see me like this, she has enough on her plate at the moment. I just need to just find some painkillers and take a bath. If she asks…I'll say Alison tried something again and my boss sent me home until they sorted it out. She'll believe that, right?'_

Resolve set, David forced himself to straighten up and winced as a sharp burst of pain pounded against his skull.

' _Well fuck, that hurt…'_

Quietly unlocking the door, David stepped on in and closed it just as soundly behind him, locking it quickly.

Stepping forward as quietly as he could, David's eyes swept around the living room, the man smiling when Monika was nowhere to be found.

"Not a bad start," he muttered, continuing his quiet approach as he headed towards his room.

Reaching it, he slowly opened the door and peaked inside, smiling again as he found it empty. He turned the handle and-

"David?"

Sighed silently as Monika's head popped around the kitchen door behind him.

Suddenly wishing he was back at work, if only so he wouldn't have to look at her eyes as he prepared his little lie, David turned around and smiled at the wide-eyed girl.

"Oh…hi Monika," he greeted, lifting an arm to wave only to stop, wincing immediately as a throb of pain shot up his neck.

"Are you okay?" she asked, voice laced with concern as she quickly approached him. "What are you doing home so early, I thought you finished at five today, it's only two?"

She made to take his arm, but David quickly moved away, a false smile upon his face as he tried and failed to remember his cover story.

"I was…I mean I did, I mean-" He knew what he had to say, but the more she looked at him with those worried eyes, the more difficult he found it to recall.

"What's the matter, did something happen at work, was it Alison again?" As if her eyes weren't bad enough, the sheer level of tender concern in her voice made it impossible for David to form a coherent lie.

But still, he tried.

"Y-Yeah, it was Alison," he replied, looking away as he continued. "She uh, did something and my boss-"

"Stop lying." The simple way she said it forced him to look back, cringing internally at her hurt frown.

Then before he could comprehend what she was doing, Monika moved forward quickly and touched his shoulder. The touch was gentle, but the pain didn't care as it forced him to hiss in agony.

"You're in pain, David. Why didn't you just say?" she said, the betrayal in her voice far more agonising than the physical pain he felt. "Why did you try to hide it from me, were you embarrassed or something?"

"S-Sorry," he mumbled, gritting his teeth as the pain dipped up and down. "I didn't want to worry you."

She looked at him and sighed unhappily, her hurt expression piercing him like a knife in his gut.

"Please don't ever lie to me again," she pleaded quietly, never blinking as she looked him right in the eye. "It…hurts."

Another knife…he could only nod.

Gently, she took his hand and walked him over to his sofa, where he gingerly sat down and tried to relax. Monika sat down beside him, taking as much effort as possible not to make the sofa move.

"What happened?" she asked, his hand still held in hers, her thumb gently caressing the palm.

David sighed, but refused to try and lie again. The look she'd given him…

' _I've never had anyone look at me like that, I feel like the lowest form of shit.'_

"Long story short, I tried to carry a table upstairs and had a muscle spasm. It dropped on top of me and I fell down the stairs with it. Now my neck is sending shooting pains into my skull and occasionally my back, not fun."

"Shouldn't you go to the hospital?!" Monika asked, bewildered that he had actually declined it. "Where's your phone, I'll ring for an ambulance and explain that you've-"

"No." The simple denial shut Monika up instantly, surprise etched across her face. "I _hate_ hospitals. I'm just going to have a bath, take some painkillers and sleep this off. If it's still bad in the morning then I'll go to the doctor's and let them take a look at it."

"But David, you could have done something really bad. What if you make it worse by not going right now?" Her voice was calm, soft and not raised in the slightest. But the tinge of worry within it made him wish she'd just shouted.

"I'm sore Monika, not dying," he chuckled, though he only received a frown in return. "Just trust me on this, I think I know when I'm really hurt."

Monika sighed loudly, frustration evident within it. She removed her hand from David's and massaged her temple, before stopping after a short while and regarding him with concern.

"Fine, I won't push you for this, but I'm telling you right now that if it looks like it's even the slightest bit worse today, I'm going to call an ambulance and tie you down until it gets here!"

"Promises, promises," David said, grinning at her sudden flush.

"Stop it, I'm trying to be angry with you," she muttered crossly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I'm too cute."

"You're something."

"Yeah, cute."

She couldn't stop herself from giggling at his bizarre humour despite the situation.

Unfortunately for the situation, David winced as yet another shot of pain went down his back. Monika caught it before he could even contemplate hiding it, a sudden determination blazing behind her eyes as she stood up and disappeared down the corridor.

' _What is she…'_ The sound of water running answered David's question before he could finish it. He waited for a few minutes, but Monika didn't return. So, for that moment, he carefully leaned back as much as he could and tried to relax.

* * *

 **Monika** was inwardly fuming at both herself and at David but was trying and somewhat failing to ignore it as she monitored the steadily filling bathtub.

' _Okay, yes he's a stupid, stubborn man for lying to me like that. But I didn't need to almost rip his head of for it. He was just trying to keep me happy by not making me worry. It's silly, but also kind of sweet.'_

She sighed to herself before forcing herself to focus on the next step in her little plan, which mostly consisted of getting David in the tub, then fed, then rest and relaxation.

' _Don't think of it like that, you sound like a mom. You're his…dating…uh, something…You're his girl!'_ She shook her head at her internal dilemma, sighing again at the sheer silliness of it all. _'We're sort-of-dating which makes me his sort-of-girlfriend. And what I'm doing now is something any good girlfriend would do for an injured boyfriend. I'm making him a bath, then making him something to eat, then making sure he puts his feet up and relaxes.'_

The sudden realization seemed to hit her like a brick, albeit a soft, harmless one.

' _Oh…I'm actually taking care of him. Not like before when he was in the hospital. The nurses cared for him there, I just kept him occupied.'_ A wide smile overtook her pretty face as she thought more on the situation. _'No, I'm actually taking care of him! OH! How many times did I dream of doing something like this!'_

Truth be told, taking care of the one who saved her from digital damnation was a pretty high wish for the giddy young woman. Her memory, foggy though it was of her time before reality, still remembered how much she'd wanted this, _dreamed_ of this.

And now she was doing it, a dream no longer.

Judging the tub to be filled to the approximate level for David's size, Monika turned off the taps and put her hand in, pausing for a moment before adding just a smidgen more cold water into it.

' _Perfect.'_

Happy with the result, she left the bathroom and made her way over to David…only to stop and smile at the now quite dozing man.

' _He's such a silly man sometimes, but it only makes me love him more.'_

"David." Careful not to jar him too much, Monika put her hand on his face and stroked it gently. "David, wake up. I've got a bath ready for you."

The man didn't seem to hear her to begin with, his head instead simply leaning against her palm as if for comfort. Monika's stomach seemed to teem with dancing butterflies as he did this, her longing for him palpable if only he'd opened his eyes in that moment and looked.

Suddenly, a low groan left his lips, followed quickly by a pained wince as he opened his eyes and found hers.

"O-Oh, I fell asleep I think," he mumbled, suddenly aware of her hand upon his face as he looked at her arm. Frowning somewhat, Monika reluctantly removed it before smiling softly and motioning for him to stand.

"I'm run you a bath, David," she said softly, gently assisting him as he stood up.

"Thank you."

Monika nodded and let him do the rest himself.

Slowly, and aware that he was now stiff as well as in pain, David made his way to the bathroom and smiled at the half-full tub. Closing the door two, he took a towel off the rack and put it on top of the toilet seat, before beginning to take off his clothes.

"Fuck!" The curse came out as more of a hiss than an actual word, but the pain dwarfed whatever else there was as he lowered his arms.

' _I can't lift my arms that high and I can't bend down…fuck, I can't take off my uniform.'_

An idea came to him…and was immediately and ruthlessly crushed. He couldn't and wouldn't ask that of her, no way, not once not ever.

"David are you alright?" Monika's voice sounded close, but not quite just outside the door.

"Yeah, I'm good," he reassured, wincing every couple of seconds. "Just uh…struggling a bit, I'm fine though, don't worry."

There was a pause. "David…do you need help taking your clothes off?"

A lie was on his lips…but the memory of her hurt expression burned it out of him.

"I…yes."

There was another pause, before footsteps replaced the silence and the door was opened. David looked at her expecting pity or sympathy, two things he despised. But instead he found only warmth and kindness within her emerald orbs, a gentle smile upon her face.

"There's no shame in needing help, David," she said softly. "Don't be ashamed, please. I want to help you."

"I know," he mumbled, unable to look at her for the briefest of moments. "I'm just…I was raised to see it as a weakness. I never thought that I believed it, but I guess some part of me did. I guess…I guess some part of me is no better than my family."

"You're worth ten of your family," she assured, tone firm, kind. "You're nothing like either of them."

"Wait until you meet them," David muttered, bitterness laced within his tone.

"I look forward to it. I look forward to seeing just how more humane you are than them. Just how kind and loving and wonderful you are compared to their shallow lives."

David didn't know what to say, or how to say it. He simply looked at her, and she him. He took in her warm, kind and gentle eyes…he took all of her in.

Butterflies teemed within him again, the sensation both uncomfortable and exciting.

"Let me help you."

Soft words were followed by a softer touch, hands gently pulling of clothing after clothing. His shoes, trousers and top all came off in a time he couldn't comprehend. He simply allowed himself to relax into the feel of her hands…

"Um…" Blinking as he opened his eyes, David suddenly realized the only thing left on him were his boxers. Monika looked at them, then at him, then back and back again.

"I think I can do the rest," David said, clearing his throat to try and clear away the tension within it.

"Oh," Monika looked disappointed, but it vanished quickly enough for David to dismiss it. "I um, I don't mind, but okay, of course. I'm only a shout away if you need me."

Grinning ever so lightly, he nodded and allowed her to leave and close the door behind her.

' _Give it some time and I doubt this'll be as awkward,'_ he thought, chuckling quietly to himself as he shimmied his boxers off and climbed _really carefully_ into the tub. _'"Well…maybe anyway. Who knows right now, it's still early days.'_

The bath temperature was just right for the sore young man, and as his thoughts carried on, each one becoming less and less coherent…

Suddenly blinking, he gently forced himself to move into a sitting position, the water flowing and splashing against the sides of the tub as he did so.

' _Phew, don't want to fall asleep in this thing, I'll look like a dried orange.'_

Unsure of how long he'd been languishing, though by the look of his prune-like fingers, he took a guess at ten or so minutes.

Carefully, he rose from and out of the tub and took the nearby towel to dry himself. A few minutes later had him walking slowly to his bedroom, Monika bizarrely out of sight as he did so.

Mentally shrugging, he took a pair of boxers and his dressing gown, putting them on with far less difficulty then before. Not to say he wasn't still in pain, though it had thankfully regressed to a nasty ache instead of all-encompassing agony.

At least to him anyhow.

He walked back into the living room and felt a smile creep onto his face as he spotted Monika sitting upon his sofa. Taking a moment to really look at the young woman, he found himself…almost lost in her features.

If an average man were to compare Monika's appearance to a ravishingly stunning woman like Alison Pure, they'd likely pick the latter every time.

And yet David…he'd disagree with that choice in a heartbeat.

He wasn't blind to Alison's looks, he simply knew that beneath them was a snake as ugly as any other. And to him, that marred whatever beauty she had forever in his eyes.

Yes, she was very hot. But David didn't care about that, he wanted more than just that.

Monika on the other hand seemed to be almost deceptively beautiful. From an average perspective, one would call her pretty, or very cute. She didn't possess the draw dropping beauty of a woman like Alison, but she was more than that, and better to him in every way.

The way she bit her lip when she was concerned or nervous. The smile she gave every time she looked at him, the way her face brightened as their eyes met.

From her long hair, to her emerald orbs. Everything about her was just better to him, more.

' _She is beautiful,'_ he mused, chucking silently to himself as his face became flush. _'I've known her for what, ten days? Still…I'd be a fool to deny what I see.'_

Decided to keep his opinion to himself for the foreseeable future, David continued his walk and barely made it a few more steps before Monika turned around, her eyes meeting his instantly.

' _Jesus Christ…'_ He hadn't seen her entire body from behind the sofa, but seeing her now made him somewhat shy.

She was wearing her pyjamas again, but the legs rode up ever so slightly, accentuating her shapely thighs to the suddenly nervous man.

"Did you have a nice bath, David?" Her voice quickly jolted him out of his daze and onto her face, catching just the hint of a grin before her mouth settled into a warm smile.

"Yeah, I did thanks," he replied, internally cheering at having managed to keep his words calm. "I really needed it, I feel much better now."

"No pain?" she asked, smiling still but a hint of worry behind her eyes.

David gave a crooked smile and shrugged, wincing only a little in the process. "There's still some, yeah. But it's not as bad as it was when I came in. Don't worry about it."

"Try and stop me," she said, grinning lightly as she neared. "You wanna watch some TV with me, it's still pretty early in the afternoon. Oh, and I do have some leftover lasagne in the fridge if you want to re-heat it later."

"How about we just watch something for now, I'm not that hungry at the moment."

Monika's eyes lit up at his easy answer, the young woman nodding as she began to flick through the various programs. David quickly found himself bemused by her flippant responses to the various channels, the bizarre normality of Monika striking him as quite funny.

"Antique show, boring. Golden Balls, to many breaks. Um, oh a movie…I haven't seen this one yet."

"I think it's called Avatar," David mused aloud, Monika turning to look at him briefly. "It's some sort of interspecies romance thing, with some sci-fi."

"Sounds pretty interesting," Monika turned back to face the screen and watched in a sort of wonder as the opening scene began.

* * *

A couple of hours later found Monika leaning on David's shoulder, eyes wide as she watched in horror as the insane Colonel tried to kill the brave Jake Sully. She cheered as Jake's mate Neytiri shot an arrow through the horrible man's chest, and then another as he fell quite dead to the ground.

David was interested in the movie, but not as much as he was in the warmth coming from Monika. He'd been acutely aware of how close she'd been from about halfway into the movie, but couldn't find any part of himself that disliked the closeness they were sharing.

' _I guess this is how dating works then…'_

Suddenly, his hand was softly grasped by another as the woman it belonged too gasped in shock, her eyes glued to the screen as Neytiri tried to shake the half dead human awake.

"No…" David felt his stomach flutter at the low, desperate whisper Monika uttered.

He kind of liked it now, and found himself gently clutching at her hand in return.

The two characters on the screen kissed for the true, first time. And David suddenly found himself nervous as to what Monika would do next. Thankfully for him, she simply sighed and leaned further into him, the man using all his willpower to fight off a low, painful ache as she did so.

' _This is worth a little pain any day.'_

"That was a wonderful movie, don't you think so David?" Monika asked as the credits began to roll. She looked at him and seemed to quickly realize the position she was in, leaning on his shoulder with her hand held in his.

"It was pretty good, I'll give it that," David replied, not seeming the least bit bothered by her closeness. "I thought movies that long would bore the hell out of me, but it was actually quite brilliant."

"O-Oh, yes of course," she stuttered, quickly swallowing and fighting to regulate her rapidly beating heart.

' _This is the closest we've been since I arrived ten days ago!'_ she internally cheered. _'Oh my…this is so good, he feels so good, so warm. I don't want to move.'_

"I'm actually kind of hungry now, do you want me to reheat some lasagne for you as well?" David made to move, only for Monika's grip on his hand to tighten in pull him back.

"Wait!" she cried, jolting the man somewhat as he stared at her in surprise. "I mean yes, I mean…can we…can we just stay like this for a bit longer?" She looked down at the small space between then and bit her lip nervously, a small red hue upon her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be like that, I just want to be close…if that's okay?"

' _Wow…what do I say?'_ David was perplexed, confused with himself. _'She likes me a lot, I already knew that. And we did officially start the uh…dating thing on Monday, and I suppose it is Wednesday now so it's not exactly right away…is it?'_

Taking his silence as refusal, she began to pull away only for David to tighten his grip and stop her. Monika looked at him, confused and a little surprised…but it all faded as he smiled at her ever so shyly.

"Okay," he said softly, nodding as if for emphasis. "I don't mind it…I actually kind of like it."

Monika gave her own small, shy smile and squeezed his hand affectionately, leaning in and pulling his arm gently around until his hand was wrapped around her stomach.

"Is this okay?" she whispered, looking up at him from his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah."

She sighed and closed her eyes as she nuzzled against him, taking a moment to just relax and soak all of him in.

' _This is perfect.'_

They would both find themselves waking up a few hours later and separate rather quickly, mostly due to David's embarrassment and shyness at the situation. It _was_ still early days after all.

But for that moment…they were truly, and completely happy.

A single moment of many to come.

 _ **And that's the next chapter down, damn I'm killing it with this story!**_

 _ **Please do let me know what you think, reviews make me a happy man, and a happy man makes many more happy chapters! (Hint, hint!)**_

 _ **Cya, stay snuggly! :D**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**And so here we go again!**_

 _ **I told you I'd keep this story going. Though if I'm being honest, you'd have a hard time stopping me, I'm kind of on a role at the moment!**_

 _ **Now, I feel like a broken record here, but if it's not said then it won't happen. When it comes to reviews, I've loved the little bits of written excitement I've received lately, but! (Your slightly desperate author) craves DETAILED reviews! Tell me what you think about the chapter, what you didn't, what you thought stood out and where you think it's going to go.**_

 _ **Such detail only adds to my spark, it shows that people care about my work**_

 _ **Now with that out of the way, let's begin again!**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Threat**

 **To** be fair, David didn't really think much of Bermuda Square.

It wasn't a horrendous place if he was being completely honest. But it just looked…old, and it stunk of stale beer and cigarettes.

So as the girl beside him brushed ever so slightly up against his shoulder, he could only silently sigh at the stupidity he'd had to think to bring her here.

On a kind of, sort of, maybe, perhaps…date.

"Well, this is fresh," he muttered, forcing a crooked smile as he looked at Monika. To his surprise however, Monika didn't seem perturbed in the slightest. In fact, she was actually, genuinely smiling as she took in the place.

"It's certainly got its charm," she said, grinning lightly at his bemused expression. "I think it beats going to some fancy restaurant anyway, they probably smell as stuffy as they look."

' _She's…not bothered? And here I thought I messed it up.'_

He had to admit it, he was certainly more taken with the young woman that he'd believed he would be, at least at a point so soon. There was just no arguing with the fact that she was something special, unique.

It'd been a little over a week since he'd hurt himself at work. A long, arduous week where his patience found itself tested regularly.

Not because of Monika, the girl had become a machine in regard to keeping his spirits up. It just the fact that he felt so _weak_ in front of her.

But what made it worse was the fact that she didn't seem to mind, if anything she appeared ecstatic about being able to help him. She did everything, from making his favourite _meat_ inclusive meal, to talking about anything and everything. It was like she had no time of her own, none to explore the new world she found herself in.

He'd told her she was more than welcome to explore the town, he didn't own her in any way and she wasn't a prisoner in his home. But as if able to sense his lingering paranoia, the young woman stayed by his side the entire time, until the week passed them by and he was able to go back to work in the following week.

David still didn't know how to feel about that, about her.

He could almost sense her desire for more contact, but ever since the movie he'd kept his distance from her, unwilling to let the temptation defeat his common sense.

David could easily remember thinking about it, about her as he lay completely awake in the dead of night.

Thoughts of her touch consumed him…

The softness of her hand, the warmth of her breath as she leaned again his shoulder. The feel of her skin as her top rode up ever so slightly, his hand pressed against her stomach as they both fell asleep in the other's arms.

They'd both awoken and mirrored a small, dopey smile…until David panicked and all but ran away from the confused woman.

' _She looked so upset and it was my fault. Hell, I still haven't said sorry,'_ he mused bitterly. _'Monika loves me, I'm fairly certain she loves me more than anyone ever has. I don't feel that way yet, but it doesn't mean that waking up like that was a bad thing…so why did I run?'_

Unwittingly, the young man found himself frowning angrily, something that Monika picked up pretty quickly as they walked. She made to ask him what was wrong, why he was so angry when this place looked so fun.

But she was scared to.

' _He hasn't so much as hugged me since the movie.'_ Monika frowned lightly and bit her lip, worried thoughts racing through her mind like bullets. _'What did I do wrong? Was it too soon, did I scare him off? Oh, I wish I could just ask him but every time I get ready to do so…I freeze.'_

The two of them walked in a strangled silence, the tension almost suffocating to an outsider looking in. But they were oblivious, locked in their own self-pity as they continued to dance around each other.

"Here it is," David said, snapping Monika out of her thoughts as he gestured to the building in front of them.

"Wow…" Her voice was full of wonder and childish innocence, a single word that stripped David of his mood without a thought.

Monika could only stare at the inside of the building, eyes wide as she took in the various contents and faded noise. Before she could stop herself, she took David's hand and pulled him inside with her, the shocked man too surprised to stop her.

Though he wasn't entirely sure if he even wanted to.

"So, this is Superbowl?" Monika asked, eyes dancing around the various arcade machines before eventually settling on the main attraction.

"Yup," he replied, smiling at her as she took the place in. He looked around the place himself, his expression somewhat wistful. "I used to come here a bit around a year or so ago, but work started giving me more hours and I just didn't have the time. I guess life just has a way of doing to that you after a bit. Makes me miss being a kid sometimes."

Monika's smile softened into an almost mournful one, eyes downcast as she looked away. David picked up on this right away and reached out without thought, only catching himself as she looked back with those doe-like eyes, the sadness within catching him on the spot.

"I never had a childhood did I?" she murmured dejectedly. "I've never really thought about it…or anything else before really. But I don't have a past like you, I'm just a bit of data come to life…why haven't I thought about this before?"

The world suddenly felt very heavy to the young woman, her shoulders sagging as her thoughts came to life. "Why haven't we spoken about this, David? Why don't I freak you out, or scare you? I might be here now, but deep down you and I both know that I'm not a real person."

"Hey," David, despite his mind screaming at him to stop, put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her close, embracing the young woman. "Enough of that, you're real. The past doesn't matter now."

Monika looked up in his arms, eyes watery. "Doesn't it? I'm not like you David, I'm not…"

"Real?" David quirked an eyebrow and smiled reassuringly, ignoring the glances they were getting from the people around them as he gently took her into a dark, quiet corner. "What makes you less real than me, than anyone else in this place?"

Eyebrows furrowed, she blinked in confusion. "I just told you, I'm only a bit of data, I-"

"Am real enough for me," David cut across, the soft words quietening her swiftly as her eyes widened in surprise. "Monika, I don't know if you've realized this yet. But fake bits of data don't have real emotions. They don't look at me with tears in their eyes and they certainly don't go out on dates with me. So, if you're not real then I guess I'm a fool for thinking such."

Leaning away from his embrace, Monika shook her head and reached out to him, cupping his face with her right hand. "David…oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to suggest anything like that. I'm just so frustrated with myself, I have so many questions. Who am I really, why am I here and how is it possible?"

She smiled and leaned back into him, sighing contently as his arms wrapped around her. "I'm just having a mood swing, that time of month I guess."

Eyes wide, he stood there for a moment in silence. "You're on your…uh."

"Yeah, not really date worthy conversation, but uh…yes, I'm on my period."

Then to her surprise, the man actually began to laugh, his chest rumbling as her head pressed against it.

"David?"

"S-Sorry, it's just…well, you think your not real and then you say _that_." He stopped laughing and quickly collected himself as he looked at her. "You do realize what being on it means right?"

Monika blinked at his question until a smile slowly began to creep onto her pretty features. "Oh," she uttered, smile widening further. "I didn't even think about that."

So unused to her new world and with so many questions unanswered, the obvious had remained hidden to her.

' _I can have children…'_

She'd never had her period in the game, she hadn't even thought about it, it was simply something that just didn't happen to her, it never had. So, she accepted it like one would accept breathing, instinctively.

Now her world was changed…and so was she.

' _I am real…I love you, David. I love you so much.'_

"Thank you, David," she said softly, regarding him almost reverently as they parted.

"No problem," he replied, her expression making his stomach do backflips. "Happy to help."

"You've certainly done that," she giggled, taking one last moment to touch his face before taking his hand. "Now let's go and have some fun!"

Face tingling from her touch, David could only nod and give a silly smile as she all but skipped back into the main attraction.

Bowling.

Thankfully for them, their heartfelt conversation hadn't taken up too much time, and so David was still able to keep the lane he'd reserved. Once the pair had their shoes on, to which Monika couldn't stop giggling about as hers squeaked with each step, the pair made their way into lane twenty.

"We have to put in our names," David explained, the man grinning as he fiddled with the out of date controls. "Trying to do this is half the fun, they never come out right."

Monika discovered what he was talking about when his and her name came out as **Daved** and **Moneyka**.

"Guess you're up first then, Money," David quipped, grinning at the mock scowl he got in return.

"Whatever you say, Daved," Monika replied, laughing at the complete silliness of the situation.

Smiling like a loon, she stepped up and tested out the various ball sizes before settling on a size eight. Her fingers just about fit in it, while a nine they felt dangerously slippy, so she figured she'd have to make do.

Unknown to her, David was somewhat distracted by the snug jeans she had on…and the way the emphasized her very attractive behind as she bent down to pick up a ball.

Monika looked down the lane and bit the tip of her tongue as she visualized where to place the ball, stopping after a moment and nodding before looking back at David, the man's eyes snapping up a bit too quickly from something and onto hers.

' _Was he looking at my…oh.'_ Fighting the urge to grin and mercilessly tease the man, she decided to do something else.

"You ready to see something amazing," she boasted, winking playfully at him.

David's stomach did another backflip, but he pushed it away and smirked back at her. "If by amazing you mean throwing it straight into the gutter, then sure go ahead."

Eyebrow quirked at the evident challenge, Monika smirked back before turning around, aiming…and throwing it down the lane.

…where it went straight into the gutter.

"Well…shit," she muttered, smiling despite herself as she turned around to a rather smug looking David. "I guess I had to give you _some_ sort of head start." A fire erupted within her as the challenge finally seemed to start.

"Uh huh," David's crooked grin only made the fire within brighter, a tingly sensation in her chest that she soon came to recognise as competition stoked it. "Well, let me show you how it's done, and I think you'll regret that _head start_ pretty damn quickly."

He walked as she sat down, glancing briefly at the balls before taking a size eleven.

' _In the movies the guy usually goes easy on the girl…but something's telling me that she won't like that. So…'_

In a practiced move done many times, he lobbed the ball in a straight, fast line and knocked down every single bowling pin.

"And that is how you do it!" he shouted, grinning like a loon as he turned back and gave a bow to the amused woman. "Please, do take notes. I'll be here all afternoon."

"Alright then," Monika said, grinning back as he sat down beside her. "Guess I better making up for that head start."

She made her way back to the lane and picked up her ball, her eyes regarding the lane with a wicked glint before she threw it down and turned back around to face David, crossing her arms.

The look on his face as her ball hit made that moment so much better, his eyes wide in disbelief as she knocked down every single pin.

"I do believe that's a strike is it not?" she asked teasingly, a smug smile on her face.

"Uh, yeah," he answered, shaking his head quickly and smirking back up at her. "I have to admit it was pretty sweet, but not enough to impress me."

"Oh?" Eyebrows raised, she smirked as she made her way back and sat down. "Well then…I guess I'll have to try _harder_." Not expecting the practically sensual tone, David almost choked on his next words.

"W-Well uh, yes, I guess you will."

' _If this were chess, I'd call that check.'_ Monika was grinning inwardly at his flustered expression, feeling only slightly bad at the dirty play she was using. _'His next throw will show me if it's checkmate.'_

David was fairly used to overly sexual remarks from Alison, but to hear a similar tone from innocent Monika surprised him.

However…

' _She's playing dirty, has to be,'_ he pondered. _'Well two can play at that game.'_

His small grin sending danger signals to Monika's brain, the young man sauntered his way to the balls and made a little show of stretching, his firm behind catching her attention as much as hers did not a few minutes before.

"Definitely not checkmate," Monika whispered, eyes glued to him as he finished and casually threw the ball into yet another strike.

"And another one for me," he said, eyes meeting hers as he returned the wink she'd given him. "Guess we'll see if yours was simply a one shot wonder, eh?"

"I guess we will," she crooned, not waiting for him to sit down as she passed him halfway, her hand brushing against his.

And so, their game continued. The both of them obtaining strike after strike, each one ending in a taunt that ranged from playful to practically carnal in nature.

But in the end there could only be one winner…

"And that's that," David laughed, fist pumping in the air as he scored the winning spare.

"Well done, David," Monika cheered, clapping as he walked back victoriously. Picking her moment, she waited until he was within reach before hugging the surprised man tightly.

"Oh, is this my reward?" David asked, grinning lightly as she looked up at him.

Monika smile became very nervous as she stared at him, eyes filled with something he couldn't describe. "There's more," she intoned softly, breathing just the tiniest bit faster as she continued. "If you want it?"

His grin faded as they continued to look into each other's eyes, the unintentional meaning within his words suddenly hitting him as he seemed to recognize their limited distance for what it was.

Unbidden, his eyes trailed down her face and onto her lips, the man licking his suddenly dry ones nervously.

' _Do I…is she…'_

David didn't know what to do, the fact they'd only just started the dating thing fading away into nothing as his mind became quickly numb.

"David…" His name, the longing behind that single word tugging at him from within.

' _She's asking for permission,'_ he realized, licking his lips again as her face began to get closer.

Everything seemed to disappear, his uncertainly, his doubt until just one thought came to his mind.

' _Fuck it.'_

He leaned down, her eyes recognising his acceptance as they shone with happiness and she-

"David?"

The illusion was shattered by a single voice, the moment crashing down around him as he looked up and quickly broke away from her as if burnt.

Monika could only blink stupidly for a few moments, her brain not quite willing to catch up with what had happened.

' _Why did…'_

She looked at David and frowned at him, following his gaze until her eyes rested upon the cause of their separation.

A woman who looked to be in her forties stood before her. She had long brown hair and hazel coloured eyes, wearing a rather expensive looking dress that looked completely out of place in a bowling alley.

Monika didn't recognise her from anything David had told her, not that her head was on straight at that moment anyway.

' _We were about to kiss, really kiss! Who is this woman and how does she know David?'_

"Fiona." The name left David's lips as if dragged kicking and screaming, the raw distaste within it enough to make Monika shudder unpleasantly. "A bit strange isn't it, for you to come…here of all places?"

Fiona sneered at him, unknowingly causing the otherwise unknown girl beside David to narrow her eyes dangerously. "Believe me, David. I would sooner wade in a pool of muck then come _here_ to find you, but needs must and so here I am."

"Why?" David asked, his voice barely more than a growl as he regarded the woman with an icy glare.

"Your Father requests your presence, David," Fiona explained, not at all fazed by his look.

"I'm fairly sure I told _Father_ that I wanted nothing to do with him, that hasn't changed."

Fiona rolled her eyes before taking out her phone and walking closer to him, handing it over without a second glance and folding her arms. David cocked an eyebrow at her before looking at the phone and frowning.

"How does he know?" he asked, throwing the phone back at her, the woman not at all surprised as she caught it nimbly with one hand.

She actually smiled at his question, the creepiness of it making Monika internally shudder.

"You and I both know that your Father has…connections," she explained, an almost silent laugh within her tone. "Did you really think you could hide it from him?"

"Everything I have, I've earned myself!" David said between clenched teeth. "I owe that man nothing, and you'd both do well to leave me alone."

They both stared at the other, neither refusing to blink. Eventually Fiona sighed and shook her head, her eyes locking onto Monika for the first time.

"I'd convince him if I were you, Monika," she said, voice devoid of emotion as her eyes bored into her. "Otherwise things could get quite difficult for both of you."

' _How does she know who I am?'_ A trickle of fear passed through Monika, her skin suddenly covered in goosebumps.

Fiona gave David one last look before turning around and walking away, the man waiting until she left before he sat down and rubbed his temple.

"David." Monika's voice made him look up and curse silently, the panic on her face making him feel awful. "Who was that, how did she know my name?"

To her surprise, David ignored her and stood up, taking her hand without a word and walking out of the bowling alley. He continued to all but drag her until they reached a nearby bus stop, the man letting go of her hand and sitting down, while Monika chose to stand instead.

"David, what is going on, who was she?" Monika asked again, arms crossed as she stared at the silent man.

David paused and bit his lip, looking back only after a short moment of contemplation. "She's my Father's…well, secretary I guess is the best word for it."

"His secretary?" she echoed, eyes still wide as she sat beside him.

"Sort of," David mumbled, rubbing his temple as he continued. "I should have known it'd only be a matter of time, but I thought he'd leave me alone for at least a few more months."

Monika's eyes narrowed in thought. "You mean your Dad?"

He nodded. "Yeah, him. I should've known he'd try something, he could never help himself from bothering his most _useless_ son."

"David you're not-"

"His words," he cut across, an uneasy smile on his face. "Not mine."

"Well he's wrong!" she snapped angrily. "You're amazing David, you're wonderful and kind and I'm proud to know you, and if he can't see that then he's a…a fucking idiot!"

David could only smile, reaching over and taking her hand in his, squeezing it gently before letting go. "Thank you."

Monika seemed to catch herself at his simple thanks, her smile returned shyly as she sat a little closer. "No need to thank me. It's just…it's the truth."

His smile widened for a few seconds, but a frown quickly overtook it as he looked up at the sky, as if asking for guidance.

"He knows about you," he said quietly, the uneasy whisper worrying her. "I mean he knows you've been staying with me, not…the other thing. He wants-"

David stopped and caught himself, frown suddenly rather angry as he continued. "Sorry, he never wants, he _politely_ _requests_ to see the both of us at his mansion tomorrow evening."

"Why?" she asked, genuinely curious. "I thought you two had a big falling out a while back?"

David scoffed. "It was more of a screaming match then a falling out, and yeah we haven't spoken for months." He looked at her with a soft expression, a pitying look on his face. "But he still keeps an eye on me, and I've never once shown any interest in having a partner, so I guess he wants to know who you are."

"What, why?" Monika was bewildered by the whole situation, it was like something out of an outlandish tale.

David closed his eyes for a moment, a strained expression on his face until his eyes opened and he looked back at her.

"My Father is a multi-billionaire with _interests_ and _connections_ that I never wanted any part of, do you understand?" he explained, stressing both words until silent realization flashed behind her eyes. "I could never say anything before because I didn't know if someone was watching me. I'm only telling you about it now because you're going to know in the end anyway."

"He's a criminal?"

David's eyes narrowed.

"He's _dangerous_ ," he warned, his right hand closed tightly into a fist. "I might not be his favoured son, but I'm still his son and if he thinks you're a danger to his little kingdom then he'll…"

"He'll what?" Monika asked, hand covering his fist until it slowly opened, and she wiggled hers inside.

The man grit his teeth and regarded her with genuine dread in his voice, the first time she'd ever heard it before.

"He'll get rid of you, one way or another."

Silence took him, and the man looked away. He didn't see her look, her expression solidify into a frightening smile, a terrible spark glinting away behind her emerald orbs as she looked at the man who's hand she held.

' _No one will take me away from David, no one…'_

And if they tried, well…

David seemed to have forgotten, but she never would. It was always there in her memory, what little faded remnants remained from the nightmare game.

It wouldn't be the first time she'd _deleted_ someone.

 _ **And boom, yet another spanner in the works!**_

 _ **Let me know what you think, the next chapter should come sometime next week.**_

 _ **Cya, Stay Snuggly! :D**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Fuck I love this story, let's keep it going!**_

 _ **First of all, a thank you to all who reviewed recently. The detail in those reviews just earned you a quicker than planned next chapter! For although the plan was to have it out on around Thursday, I was actually going to give it another week before the next one in order to get more me time.**_

 _ **But I love you guys too much!**_

 _ **Oh, and to the reviewer asking about the bowling shoes, it was deliberate. You'll see pretty shortly as to why I left it like that.**_

 _ **A short warning for all you squeamish folk, the start of this chapter contains sexual content, read at your own saucy risk. Time to earn that M rating.**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Betrayal**

She was lost in a world of bliss, his scent surrounding her as their lips met over and over, tongues dancing as they wrestled for control. She felt herself lose but welcomed it, letting his grip on her tighten as she pressed myself against him.

Her thighs bumped against him and remained, pressing against his arousal. She was rewarded with a low moan and kept him that way as she reached into his pants and held his wonderful tool firmly, her fingers caressing it as it pulsed and twitched.

His teeth nibbled ever so softly against her neck as she pulled him down with her free hand, the two of them collapsing on the bed. She slowly let go of his excitement and cupped his face with both hands, kissing him fervently as his fingers snuck into her soaked underwear.

Overwhelmed by the raw urge to claim him, she threw her head back and let out a passionate moan.

" _ **David…"**_

…

And opened her eyes.

"What…" She blinked and sat up, leaning back against the sofa bed as she rubbed her eyes. A red flush quickly wormed its way onto her face as she felt a distinct wetness inside her knickers, the dream she'd been _very much_ enjoying coming back to her at full force.

' _Oh wow, that was intense.'_ She couldn't stop the dream from repeating itself over and over in her head. _'I can still feel his lips on mine, and the warmth of his…his cock in my hands.'_ Suddenly quite hot and bothered, Monika stood up and half ran into the bathroom.

Once inside the shower, she tired and failed to push the dream aside as she scrubbed herself. The sensations it'd forced on her were indescribable, she'd never had a dream like it before. Sure, she'd had the occasional heated dream, but they always ended as his lips touched hers, or as he professed his undying love to her.

They were brilliant in their own right, but the dream she'd just had was on a whole other level.

' _Is this what it's like to lust for someone?'_ she pondered, her body shivering as she washed her sensitive breasts. ' _I love him more than anything I've ever known, but it doesn't feel like enough. I need him entirely. Mind, body and soul. I love him and…desire him.'_

Without real thought behind it, she imagined what it'd be like to have him all to herself…and inside herself. In her mind, she pictured the beautiful man as he gently cupped her face, his lips caressing her own as she moaned helplessly against him.

Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they wandered down and down, catching her sex as she gently teased it. A few moments later was all it took for her teasing to turn the image of David from a soft make-out session into a full on ravishing of one Monika Salvato.

"Oh fuck…" Without any kind of warning, her body seemed to clench and tighten within a single moment, a powerful bout of pleasure rushing throughout her entire form as she all but collapsed onto her knees.

' _Did I just orgasm?'_ Her breath was ragged, more a pant as her thighs shook. _'I've never done anything like that before…that was incredible.'_

Slowly, the young woman began to laugh, her sluggish arms clumsily turning off the shower before she sat back down against the side of the bath.

"And that's just what I can do alone, imagine what David can do to me," she whispered, a wicked smile on her face as she indeed began to imagine it. Just as her body began to get warm and tingly again, she shook her head and quickly got out, grabbing a towel and drying herself down.

' _Maybe later, if I keep pleasuring myself I'll never get out of the bathroom…and David might find me.'_ If anything, that thought alone made her smile all the more wicked. _'Not that I'd be against him finding me naked and wet…not that he would either I bet.'_

Giggling softly to herself, the young woman checked out of the door for David and smiled at his absence, before making her way to the smile clean clothes pile beside the sofa bed and picking up a few bits. In the corner she noticed her bowling shoes and giggled, recalling just how panicked David was when he remembered that they'd left their shoes at the alley.

A few minutes later found her dressed and ready to face the day.

Until she looked at the living room's clock and sighed at the early time of 7.34 AM.

"Never mind then," she grumbled, instead beginning the slow process of putting the bed back into the sofa. Once done, she sat down and turned on the TV, a bored expression on her face as the news turned on.

"Thank you George," said an older man, somewhere around his fifties with pepper grey hair and a smarmy look to him. "Well as you can see the recent red lightning has all the experts, including myself, completely perplexed. The storm has continued to pepper its way throughout the past few days all over the country, originating from Nuneaton and slowly making its way down south. What is most peculiar however is that the majority of the discharge has remained around the Nuneaton area and has been disrupting the powerlines throughout the town. We have…"

Monika stared at the screen blankly for a few moments, until her face twisted into an almost pained one. Memories of her 'birth' into the world flickered through her mind.

The red lightning that spread its misshapen tendrils into David's computer, the agony of being forced into existence as her mind was flayed and moulded into what it was now.

The pain on David's face as the lightning spread to him, connecting them together in pain before it threw him against the wall and knocked him out.

' _The lightning brought me to life, we've both known as such from the beginning. So why haven't we discussed it, and why haven't I so much has thought about it. I dismissed it…no, I forgot it, as if it never mattered. Why would I do that when it caused ME to happen?"_ Monika looked back at the screen and narrowed her eyes at it. _"Something isn't right, something isn't…"_

' **Not yet."**

…

Monika blinked and shook her head, rubbing her eyes blearily before glancing at the blank screen across the room.

' _Did I fall asleep?'_ She looked at the clock, her eyes widening in surprise as the numbers 9.02 AM glared back at her. _'Blimey, I must have. I wonder if David's up yet.'_

She got off the sofa and made her way towards his bedroom, the door slightly ajar. Quirking an eyebrow curiously, she opened it quietly and stepped inside, her heart melting as she spotted her beloved David quite asleep on his bed.

Slowly, she walked over to him and sat down besides him, unable to help herself as she began to gently stroke his head.

Her heart skipped a beat as she received a happy sigh in return, a genuine smile upon his sleeping face as she continued her soft ministrations.

"I love you so much, David," she said quietly, a faint blush on her face. "I know I told you right at the start and that was unfair of me to burden you with. You didn't know me, not really. And I'm really not surprised that you didn't feel anything remotely the same for me."

She stopped talking and moving as his head turned, but let go a breath as he merely placed it back on his pillow. After waiting for a few moments, Monika giggled quietly and began to stroke his head again.

"But being with you these past few weeks has only strengthened my love for you," she whispered, her smile wide and adoring as she looked at him. "And I think you feel something of the same for me now too. Maybe not as strong, or as much…but I think that you want me too. I see the way you stare at me when you think I don't realise it. But more than that, I see how much you care about me. I saw it when you lied to try and stop me from worrying about you, I saw it when we bowled yesterday. And just before that _woman_ arrived, we were about to…we were going to…"

Face quite flushed, she shook her head and removed her hand from David. She then to her surprise, leaned down and gently kissed his cheek, delighting in the feel of him.

"I leave the real kiss to you my love," she cooed softly. "Just know that once you do, I'll never let you go. You'll be mine and I'll be yours, and nothing will tear me away from you, I won't let it."

Quietly, she stood up and left the sleeping David be as she made for the door.

"Happy dreams, David."

And with that, she let him be.

…

David's was indeed dreaming, but unlike the woman who had seen him sleeping, his dream wasn't as risqué as hers in the slightest.

It was more…homely.

He was running through a field of wheat, the endless rows of corn tickling his chin as he rushed through them, his younger, smaller physique rumbling with joy as he did so.

But then suddenly he stopped running, a hand was upon his shoulder, turning him around and pulling the young boy into their arms.

David looked up and smiled at the woman holding him, their identical blue eyes meeting, hers bright with love for the one they regarded. Her hair was auburn, and she was wearing a very pretty white dress that only enhanced her slim physique.

"Mom." The word left his lips effortlessly, the sheer adoration held within bursting from the seams.

"Hey baby." Her voice was ever so soft and filled with tenderness, her arms tightening around him.

"I've missed you so much," David said, the longing in his voice palpable.

"Hush now," she crooned, stroking his face gently. "It's okay, I'm here, I've got you."

He could never remember being so safe, so warm. His Mother was here, and she would always love him.

It was a paradise all its own.

Until a rumble thundered through the sky, the very ground trembling in its wake.

"David." He looked up and felt a sudden spike of fear pass through him at her tearful expression. "You've got to go now baby, it's coming."

"W-What are you talking about?" he asked, clinging to her desperately. "You can't leave me, you can't leave me Mom!"

She looked down at her little boy and whimpered, a few tears streaking down her pretty face. Gently, she reached out and cupped his face, her eyes searching him as if to commit it to memory.

"You've grown into such a handsome young man, David," she whispered. "Whatever happens now, always know that I will never stop loving you."

Slowly, the woman began to pull back, hands reaching out as the invisible force tugged her away from him. The sky flashed, a deadly red lightning thundering as its power hit the ground around him.

"Mom no!" David cried, voice older, deeper as he grasped futility for her. "Come back! Mom! Mom!"

 **David** awoke with a start, his breath coming in shallow gasps as his words echoed persistently in his mind.

' _Fucking hell, haven't had a nightmare like that in years.'_ He forced himself to calm down and regulate his breathing. It took a few minutes, but after what felt like much more he eventually settled down.

' _Guess this is what I get for not sleeping until four in the morning.'_ Blearily, he looked at his alarm clock and sighed at the time. _'Great, five hours of sleep. As if today wasn't going to be hard enough. Let's just get some breakfast and then try to catch up with a few more hours, I'm going to need my wits about me if Father tries to send over another lackey.'_

Slowly, he closed his eyes and rubbed them, sighing loudly as he forced himself out of bed and into his dressing gown.

He made his way into the living room, only to almost bump into a very surprised Monika, who held a bowl of corn flakes in one hand.

"Woah, that was clo…" her words faded as she took in his pale, almost jumpy looking appearance. Almost without thinking, she put the bowl on the side and turned back to face him. "David are you okay?"

She reached out but stopped as he flinched back, a worried frown upon her face. "David, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he muttered, rubbing his tired eyes once again. "Just need to get in the shower."

Her frown deepened, becoming sad as she looked at him. "David you promised you wouldn't lie to me again."

The man's shoulders seemed to sag as her words hit home, a tired, hollow smile upon his face as he nodded slowly. "I…I know, I'm sorry Monika."

"It's okay," she soothed, reaching out again and smiling somewhat when he didn't flinch back. Her hand lay easy upon his shoulder, a soft look on her face as he leaned against it. "What's wrong, did you have a bad dream?"

"Something like that," he muttered, trying to smile and failing as he caught her gaze. "I was just a nightmare, I get them sometimes. Everyone does I think. Serves me right for staying up until four."

…

"Come with me."

Monika gave him a gentle look before taking his hand and pulling him to the sofa. Before he could think to ask her what she was doing, she'd pulled him down with her and had somehow gotten his head on her lap, the rest of his body spread upon the rest of the sofa.

"Monika?" He looked up at her, confused.

"Shh," she hushed, fighting a blush as she put a hand upon his head. Before he could spout off a question, she began to softly stroke his forehead with one hand, the other resting upon his chest lightly. "Just close your eyes, David. Don't try to speak, just close your eyes and focus on my hand."

Her voice was the softest it had ever been, the sheer amount of care in her voice began to knock any thoughts and words he might have had out of him.

' _Wow, this is really nice. The way she's looking at me, I feel…'_

He simply couldn't remember anyone other than his Mother doing this for him. But it felt different with Monika, there was something else to it.

It felt…better, and he felt…

David seemed to drift as her fingers worked his scalp, gently kneading the skin. The world dimmed to a low, relaxing hum. All care, all thoughts seemed to fade away as her touch reduced him to jelly.

Monika couldn't believe her gall, but was more than thankful for having it in the first place. Never could she have tried to do this a few days ago, but here she was with David in her lap.

He trusted her, he accepted her touch without complaint.

' _I really do feel like his girlfriend now,'_ she mused happily. _'We don't exactly know what it is we have, but I feel like one at the moment. To have him trust me like this, to let me hold him and comfort him and care for him. Ohhh…is this how it begins, is this yet another step forward to him accepting me as a partner, a lover?'_

She didn't know for certain, but as he drifted back to slumber in her hold, she felt like it was.

Unknown to her, David's heart and mind stopped their consistent war as the heart finally won a battle. And though he wouldn't realize it right away, David's feelings for Monika changed in that moment, their strength increasing beyond what he'd felt for any other.

Time seemed to fade for the both of them. Monika kept her fingers moving ever so slowly, ever so gently upon his head. The young man had fallen back to sleep effortlessly because of it, because of her. And she was content to keep going, to keep caring for him, to love him like no one ever had or ever would.

For as David's feelings had strengthened, so too had Monika's. Strong they already were, but as she held him in their shared moment of affection they only became stronger.

She kept it quiet even to herself however, for in that moment her only care, her only thought was looking after her beloved David.

' _He would do the same for me, I know it,'_ she thought. _'This is special, our special moment. One day he'll do something like it for me, and when he does, it'll be out of love for me.'_

Comforted beyond comprehension by that thought, she continued her ministrations without any other.

…

A sudden knock at the door snapped her out of it very quickly. Caught by her desire to _never move from this spot again_ , she decided to ignore it.

Until they knocked again and again, and again.

' _Okay, now I'm just a teeny bit mad.'_ Looking at David's lazy smile and sighing, she gently manoeuvred his head from her lap and stood up, putting a pillow for his head to lie on instead.

"I'll just be a minute love," she whispered, losing her smile as the knocker KNOCKED again.

She moved towards the door and, after taking a quick moment to slap on a genuine smile she opened the door.

To her surprise, it wasn't anyone she recognised, either from personal experience or from David's retellings.

A woman stood before her, a rather attractive woman with long brown hair and blue eyes a couple of shades darker than David's. She was slim but curvy in all the right places, and was wearing a rather elegant red dress that really didn't suit the street she was standing in.

"Do I know you?" Monika asked, eyebrow quirked as the woman looked her up and down, a haughty smile upon her face.

"No, but David Foam does. I'm here to see him," she said, looking past Monika but not really managing to see anything beyond her.

Somewhat amused at the woman's attitude though she was, that she knew David struck a cord of concern within her.

"I don't recognise you, David's never mentioned anyone of your appearance before," Monika said, crossing her arms.

The woman blinked at Monika but quickly regained her smile. "Oh, well I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. We haven't seen each other for a few years and David…well let's say he and I have a couple of issues to sort out. Now if you don't mind." She made to move past Monika but Monika stood firm, barring her passage.

Huffing, the woman looked at Monika as one would a filthy rat. "Now look here you harlot, I don't know who you are, but David would be quite upset if you refused to let me in. So, I would advise you to stand aside."

"And I would advise you to fuck off," Monika replied, trying and failing to repress a snarl at the arrogant woman.

"Why you little-"

"Monika?"

The tired voice behind her caused her to spin around, concern on her face as David all but stumbled over to her.

"David you should be sleeping," she said softly, meeting him halfway and steadying the weary man. He looked better than before, but was still quite obviously tired. His entire body language was screaming it at her.

"Not really possible with you two screaming at each other," he snarked, though with none of the negative aimed at Monika as he looked at the other woman. "What the hell are you doing here, Lucy?"

"Do you know this woman, David?" Monika cut across, effectively stopping Lucy from replying.

David rubbed his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day, before looking at both of them and gesturing for Lucy to come inside. Said woman gave him a rather affectionate smile as she closed the door behind her, both women following him into the living room where he sat down on the sofa.

He looked up at both of them before lingering on Monika. "Monika, this is Lucy Fahrenheit. Lucy, this is Monika Salvato."

Both girls looked at each other once before sitting down, Monika next to David while Lucy took a chair and reluctantly sat down on it.

"Lucy, what are you doing here?" David asked again, brows furrowed. "Did my Father send you?"

Lucy returned his frown with a look that made Monika's stomach clench none too nicely, the affection within it causing her hands to form into fists.

"Not at all, David," she declined, a pretty smile on her face. "As I was about to explain to _Monika_ here, I am here simply to see you."

"Why?" David asked, brow quirked. "Last I checked there was nothing left to talk about. It's been years since we've spoken and for good reason."

"You're still sore about that?" Lucy asked, concern etched in her expression. "David…it was years ago. Surely now that you've grown up a bit and have come into maturity, you can see the benefits?"

Monika actually had to grab the sofa to stop from throwing herself at Lucy, the sultry lilt in her words setting her teeth on edge.

David however merely rolled his eyes. "Three years and you still don't understand." He shook his head and regarded Lucy with a rather irritated expression. "I said no then and I say no now. Nothing has changed, so I'm sorry to say you've wasted a journey coming here if that was all it was for."

"David?" Monika's voice snapped his attention onto her immediately, the quiet, almost hurt look in her eyes softening his building anger. "What is she talking about, who is she?"

Lucy's laughter brought both of their attention onto her, her pretty face enhanced by it. "David really never told you about me did he?" she asked, somewhat rhetorically.

She looked Monika right in the eye and smiled, and not in a nice way.

"I'm his wife," she said."

Monika's eyes widened before she turned to face David, her stomach twisting painfully at his blank expression.

"David…" her voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the hurt in it.

"You're so full of shit."

Monika blinked stupidly for a few moments, not quite comprehending his words. Lucy it seemed was of the same mindset and was staring at him in disbelief.

Gently, he cupped Monika's face and ran a lone finger down her cheek. The tenderness of the act caused her eyes to lid lovingly.

Something that no other woman would fail to recognise for what it was.

David turned his attention onto a quietly fuming Lucy and gave her a surprisingly sad smile.

"I thought you might have gotten over your delusion by now, Lucy," he said, the woman in question narrowing her eyes at him dangerously. He turned back to face Monika and began to explain. "Lucy's Father and mine are close friends, have been since before I was even a thought. Lucy and I grew up together for the most part, but were kept mostly apart for a few years when we both turned thirteen. I didn't see her again until I was about twenty two, and the reunion was…complicated."

"What David means is that when we met again he refused to accept the situation that came with it," Lucy cut across, Monika snapping her attention onto the vividly unhappy woman. "Our Father's both agreed to keep our families together by having both David and I married by the time we turned twenty two. But David refused to accept both it AND my love for him and ran away!"

"Not quite the way I remember it, Lucy," David said sarcastically, a sardonic smile on his face. "No, what I remember is my Father ordering me to marry you for the good of the family, with no care for what I might have wanted. And you were all too willing to go behind my back and agree with it, never mind the fact we hadn't seen each other for more than a few days a month in nine years. No, I guess a marriage contract to someone you barely know anymore didn't quite bother you as it did me."

"A marriage contract?" Monika asked, eyes wide in shock. "But that barbaric, this isn't the Victorian age! Who does that anymore?"

"A witless nobody like you wouldn't understand," Lucy sneered, looking her up and down again. "I've learned a bit about you, Monika Salvato. David's Father was most helpful in that regard."

"So what," Monika said, surprisingly calm. "David already knows everything about me, nothing you've learned can change anything here."

"Oh?" Lucy asked, smile still upon her face. "I doubt that."

"Tell us then," David said, Monika's calmness soothing his agitation.

"Fine," Lucy said, crossing a leg over the over as she continued, looking right at Monika. "To start with, there's basically nothing about you, anywhere. David's family is rather good at learning who people are, but you simply don't exist. You simply popped out of nowhere and into David's naively kind heart and graces with no apparent educational or working background. So to us, that means one of two things. Either you're a plant to try and infiltrate David's family for nefarious reasons, or you're an orphan who got lost in the system and forgotten about until David took pity on you."

She looked at Monika and narrowed her eyes, disliking the blank look she got in return. She then looked at David and frowned at his small smile.

"That's one of the reasons I came here, David," she said, smiling sympathetically at him. "I don't trust this woman, and neither does your Father. You'd really be better off leaving her to fend for herself."

"So you can worm your way into my heart?" David asked, chuckling despite the situation. "Not likely. I couldn't give less of a damn what Father thinks about Monika. I know who she is and what she's been through, whatever else anyone thinks means less than nothing to me."

Monika beamed proudly at David, her hand reaching for his and taking it softly, the wide smile softening as he squeezed it affectionately.

"You're being naïve, David," Lucy said, eying their shared affection and sighing. "Another reason why you need me. Don't you remember our childhood, how I used to shield you from your Father's rage, how well we used to get on? We were friends David, I was your only friend."

David closed his eyes and sighed wistfully, rubbing them before looking back at her. "You're right, you were my only friend growing up. I won't lie and say I don't miss that friendship, but who I was then and who I am now are two completely different people. I'm not a part of my family anymore, I left that part of my life behind for good, and that means I left you too."

"David…" Lucy's eyes began to water, but with what seemed to be a regular practice, she blinked them away. She looked at him, and at the woman who's hand he held, a frown upon her face. "You know that I won't stop, David. I won't give up on you. And you know that your Father won't either, he'll send others and they'll do more than try to convince you with words."

"So he did send you then," David said, sighing sadly. "Another knife in my back, Lucy? You can't stop yourself from hurting me can you?"

Lucy stood up and made to come over, hand reaching out, but Monika was up like a flash to stand in her way with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"I think you should go," she said, voice surprisingly soft as she regarded the woman before her.

"David…"

"Go Lucy, just go." He refused to look at her, keeping his eyes planted firmly on the floor.

Lucy looked from him to Monika, seeming for all the world as if to start crying. But with a strength that belayed her expression, they refused to fall.

"He deserves better than you," she whispered, voice hurt and taught with longing. "Qualifications, a job. You have none of those, do you expect him to provide for you forever?"

Caught off guard by the question, Monika was left without an answer. This to Lucy only confirmed her belief, and she showed it with her disgusted sneer.

"You don't deserve him," she snarled, before turning and leaving, the front door slamming behind her.

Silence permeated the house for a few moments, the quiet gnawing at her.

"Ignore her," David said, causing her to turn around and look at him, the poor man looking more tired than before he'd slept on her lap. "She doesn't know who you really are, those other things aren't possible for you at the moment."

"I know," Monika said, biting her bottom lip. "But she's not wrong. I don't want you to provide for me forever, I want to earn my own way."

"And one day you will, but until we figure out how…"

"I know."

She sat down again and silence once more filled the room.

"I'm sorry I never told you about her," David said suddenly. "She was a part of the life I'd left behind, and I just wanted it to stay that way."

"It's okay," she replied, her hand slipping back into his and squeezing it comfortingly. "You couldn't tell me about any of it before anyway."

"I could have told you some," David corrected, smiling wearily. "And Lucy…well she wasn't lying. We were each other's only friend at one point in my life. She protected me from my Father's…overly strict tendencies. He never hit me when she was there so she tried to be there all the time, but then her family took her away and we only really saw each other a few times a month. By the time I was about sixteen I didn't really know her anymore. And so by the time I turned twenty two and I was _offered_ to her as her husband-to-be, I was…less than happy with her."

"It's barbaric," Monika muttered, echoing her previous statement.

"It's practically slavery," David agreed. "But that wasn't something any of the other's seemed to share the opinion of, so I was left with the choice of either going through with it or running away with whatever funds I had saved and trying to make a life of it."

"I take it your Father wasn't pleased."

David snorted. "To put it lightly, no he wasn't. At first he let me be, I guess he figured it was just a phase and I'd be over it in a few weeks. But as those weeks turned into months and I got my job at the nursery, he realized I was being straight up with him. He summoned me to his mansion and I was _persuaded_ to go, but when I got there and saw him and…Lucy, it just turned into a massive fight."

"Did you love Lucy?" Monika asked, unable to stop the question that burned on the tip of her tongue.

David smiled somewhat, but it was a sad one. "You mean when we met again? Well…yes, I suppose. The whole marriage thing didn't happen until about a month after we saw each other again. For that month I had my friend back. We talked and acted like nothing had happened, like our separation hadn't happened. And by the third week of that month, I was very taken with her. She'd grown into a very pretty woman and had already told me that she liked me as more than a friend…that she always had even when we were kids."

She couldn't help it, and though it disgusted her to feel it, she couldn't stop feeling a little jealous. Lucy and David shared a childhood friendship, they had history. Something that for all the time they spoke via the game, she and David didn't have.

"But then the marriage thing happened and I felt like she'd stabbed me in the back," David finished, frowning gloomily. "If she'd fought it, if she'd disagreed with it then things would be different. We'd probably have gotten together and then married of our own free will. But she was too weak to go against my Father, she'd changed from someone who used to protect me from him, to someone who I couldn't recognise."

"Maybe your separation was meant to make her become like that," Monika implied, surprised at just how sorry she felt for the other woman.

"Maybe," David agreed, shaking his head regardless. "But it didn't change me, I wasn't weak. She was…and I can't love someone who won't stand up for the one she supposedly loves back."

Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time, he stood up and headed towards the bathroom.

"I need a shower," he said, only to stop and turn back to face her, a soft smile on his face. "But I never thanked you for before…so thank you. I needed to sleep and you got me there, I won't forget it."

"It's no problem," Monika said shyly, a blush upon her pretty face. "You looked really tired so I just did the first thing that came to mind."

David cocked an eyebrow, a crooked smile on his face. "You do that often for people do you?"

"No, just you."

Caught off guard by the raw affection in her voice, David's words faded away on his tongue. The two looked at each other silently for a few moments, eyes locked and filled with mixed emotion.

"Come here."

Monika blinked once at the request, but complied and walked over to him, her smile ever so shy…until he pulled her close and embraced her tightly.

She couldn't, she wouldn't stop herself.

Monika leaned into his embrace and held him close, until she felt him move and moved with him, pulling back and looking at him, as he looked at her.

A moment passed, one, two…

And without a thought, without anything to stop her or him…

She leaned up and he met her halfway…

Their lips touched almost too softly, barely touching at all…and then it claimed them both, an urge, a powerful urge that felt almost electric as the lips moved against the over.

Shyness was forgotten, only passion remained as they kissed and held the other. Monika clung to him like a lifeline, the feral part of her brain almost afraid that if she let him go that he'd run away.

But he wasn't going anywhere, his own mind was roaring like a lion, proud and fierce!

The kiss became more passionate, a low, throaty moan leaving Monika only made David pull her tighter against him, held her closer as he all but growled into it.

And then, as the kiss began to slow and their minds slowly began to reboot, did the two individuals pull back and look at the other.

"Wow…" Monika couldn't say anything else, her mind was…muddled with emotion.

David looked at her, his own mind just as muddled as his lips burned with hunger for more. Instead of indulging in it however, he instead simply smiled and lay his forehead against hers, the two staring at the other, a dopey grin on their faces.

"That was incredible," David said quietly.

"I know," Monika replied, giggling as joy filled her up.

They remained like so for a few more moments, but as with all moments it ended as David pulled away and looked at the bathroom.

"So…shower," he muttered, a silly smile stuck on his face as he walked towards it, repeatedly turning back ever second or so to look at her.

"Have fun," she said, grinning stupidly at him.

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Yep."

"David, go shower," she giggled, walking over and pushing him inside, shutting the door behind her. She moved back and looked at it, unable to remove her grin despite her very minor effort.

…and then the door opened and David was suddenly in front of her, but she met him first and their lips connected again and again and again and again…

And eventually, give or take ten minutes or so, David did eventually have a shower.

Eventually.

 _ **And boom, biggest chappy so far!**_

 _ **As always let me know what you think in as much detail as possible. It always lights my fire!**_

 _ **Cya, Stay snuggly! :D**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Well it's certainly been a while now hasn't it.**_

 _ **Guess all I can say is that time, work and life got away from me. And as an unfortunate consequence, this story became yet another unfinished one to lie adrift the many others.**_

 _ **However, I have rekindled my spark and so have returned to give you all what you asked for!**_

 _ **Here we go again, I do hope you enjoy the ride. It's going to get very bumpy**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **A Twist of Fate**

There was a shift in the world, their world. They couldn't taste it or touch it or see it, but it was there none the less.

For them as a couple of months passed on by, they passed by unnoticed. But to an outsider looking in on their lives, it was obvious that something had changed in the relationship between David and Monika.

Where as before, David was reluctant, hesitant to put a word, a feeling to his friendship with Monika. It had suddenly become very obvious to the young man that their connection had become more than just _friendly_.

It was now almost too _intimate_ , too close, more than he'd ever felt before for anyone.

And yet…he didn't shy away, he didn't run and hide and hope that in time this feeling, this _emotion_ would simmer into what it once was.

No, he cautiously accepted it, and ventured forth into the otherwise unknown territory.

As for Monika…this was it. This was what she'd wanted for _so long_.

It was the start of a real relationship. No more _sort of_ dating buddies, no more awkward glances and no more running away. David was her boyfriend, her…partner. There had been no verbal confirmations, no awkward 'Will you go out with me' questions or confessions asked.

It had begun with a kiss…many, many kisses, and somewhere between them Monika had looked into his eyes and known that she was his.

And he was _hers_ , all hers.

This was the new start to their lives together, but Monika was more than ready to take that step. She'd been patient, waited for him to become more comfortable with her, to let his guard down just enough for her to wiggle her way past his ever-thinking mind and into his starved heart.

Monika knew it would take time for David to fall completely in love with her, she knew it would take time for him to say those three special words. But until that day came, she vowed there and then to never let him feel anything less than loved himself. Now that she had been let inside his heart, she would fill it with nothing but all the affection she had to give him.

In the hopes that one day, he would do the same for her.

…

It was the early afternoon on a rather pleasant Saturday that David found himself walking alone in the local Sainsbury's, a basket in one hand while the other remained quite happily in his hoodie pocket. The air con was breezy and all in all, he was rather chilled as he perused the supermarket.

However not all was right in the chilled world of David Foam.

It could only be described as a swarm of tingly butterflies inside his stomach, persistent little buggers that refused to stop. He of course realized that it'd been happening on and off for quite some time, and to be realistic, he wasn't overly bothered by it.

David supposed that he couldn't quite be blamed for it, or at least not all of it. It'd started yet again not a few hours ago after all, and David was quite sure that he hadn't done anything to cause it himself.

' _Ohh…'_

Even away from her he couldn't help himself, the memory of her sighing happily against him as she nestled her head under his chin. It was all too easy to become lost in it…in her.

As he picked up a packet of apples, the persistent memory of a certain someone wriggled to the forefront of his mind. Her smile, her smell, the taste of her toothpaste as two tongues shyly met.

He shook his head and smiled despite himself.

No, the _blame_ he decided, was placed solely on Monika.

"It's all her fault,"he mused quietly, muttering inaudible words as he put the apples into his basket. "I just wanted to sneak out and grab some bits and pieces, but nope, David's not allowed to leave the house until Monika's all he can think about. Sneaky, sexy woman, I swear…"

His grumblings were weak, and he knew it.

He also knew that if Monika had heard any of them, it would only encourage her to be doubly affectionate.

' _I can hear her already,'_ he thought, slightly unfocused as he moved to the meat isle. _'Oh, you're so silly, David. Now come here so I can make you forget how to breathe._ '

He drew some stares as he chuckled to himself, the image of Monika looking ready to pounce amusing the young man quite a bit.

' _This is so bizarre. A few months ago, I was chatting up a clever bit of script, now I'm actually dating her. How on earth did THIS happen?'_

He smiled. _'If it's a dream, then it's a good dream. I never want to wake up.'_

Caught up in his thoughts as he was, David just _barely_ managed to restrain jumping as someone put their hand on his shoulder.

"Jesus fuck!"

He turned his head around and looked upon the one responsible, a swift look of annoyance creeping onto his once amused face.

' _Oh, come on! Why now?'_

"Hello David."

Lucy Fahrenheit stood there before him as pretty as she was all that time ago, a small gentle smile upon her face as their eyes met. Just looking at her brought back memories of his unfortunately messed up childhood, memories he'd rather stay buried and forgotten.

But alas, she was the one bright spot amongst them…most of them.

She was wearing yet another red dress, though not one that screamed how well off she was which was quite something, at least for her. And though he was loath to admit it, she was very beautiful. Her expressive blue eyes and sleek brown hair did nothing to detract from that fact.

However, David was beyond the captivating wiles of pretty woman. He knew just how often a snake lay beneath it all.

"Really?" he snarked, rolling his eyes at her typically out of place attire. "It's barely been two months Lucy, couldn't you have waited another few years?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a couple of people staring at them curiously and turned his head, eyes narrowed. They quickly left and he looked back at the woman before him.

Lucy frowned ever so slightly at his unfriendly attitude but seemed to let it breeze over her as she smiled and allowed a minute distance to be made between them. "Sorry David, but I simply couldn't wait any longer to see you again. I've tried to leave it and you alone but I…I miss you."

David's face seemed to age a few years as he recognized the barely concealed longing in her eyes, a sorrowful pang echoing within him as he took her in.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked quietly, aware of strangers occasionally glancing at them as they shopped. "I've moved on, Lucy."

"You say that, but deep down I don't think you really believe it." She smiled softly and edged closer. "Do you really care for her more than me after all we went through, after all I did to keep you safe? Have you really forgotten how happy you were when you were with me?"

"I remember everything you did, Lucy," he said quietly, eyes briefly closed. "I remember how happy I was, I'll never forget it, but whatever it is that you want _won't_ happen."

"You know what I want." She reached out with her hand, only to halt as he backed away. "David…"

Lucy's eyes seemed to plead as she reached for him, and despite everything he did feel the smallest pang of regret as he looked into them, the voices of memories long past brushing against the forefront of his mind. But as she touched his arm, a sharp headache burst within him, causing his eyes to water.

' _David…'_ Monika's face appeared before him, and for the briefest moments he could see nothing but her.

Her soft eyes, kind and gentle…becoming hurt and lost as the feeling of Lucy's hand became very unpleasant very quickly.

Almost instinctively, David took a step back and winced. "Get off!"

Lucy blinked in surprise and did so, a worried frown upon her attractive face. "W-What's wrong?"

He rubbed his head and gave her with a strange look, the briefest pang of the painful headache leaving as Monika's face seemed to flicker into nothing.

A snarl on his face, he glared at Lucy. "We're not doing this in a fucking Sainsburys, Lucy. Why the hell did you choose here, it isn't my style…and it sure as hell isn't yours."

Eyes narrowing, he regarded her suspiciously and took a small step forward.

"What are you really here for?" he asked firmly. Lucy didn't speak, or even open her mouth for a few moments. But she didn't need to, he'd seen it the moment he asked her.

The brief flicker of surprise as her weak reasoning crashed down around her was all he needed.

"W-What do you-"

"Lucy!"

Aware of the rapidly growing number of staring strangers, Lucy seemed to wilt under the rising pressure and looked at him pleadingly.

"It wasn't my decision, David," she said quickly, shrinking away from the angry expression creeping onto David's face. "I did warn you and you didn't listen, now it's out of my hands."

"What did you do?" David demanded, dropping his basket onto the floor as he moved towards her.

"David, I'm sorry, I really am. But you didn't listen to him and now he's-"

It hit him then and there, catching him and holding David in place as Lucy's words began to sink in.

' _MONIKA!'_

"What have you done?!" he yelled, grabbing her shoulders none too nicely, a cold fury coursing through him.

"It's your own fault, I tried to warn you," she whimpered, wincing at his hard grip. "Please…you're hurting me."

Although he wasn't aware of it at that moment, David failed to comprehend that a few months back he would have let go immediately. But something was stirring within him as he looked upon his Father's pet messenger, something that he hadn't felt for a long time.

And then it happened.

Unbeknownst to all but Lucy, who could do nothing but _look_ right into them, his eyes held the slightest crackle of red within them. It flared within the blue of his eyes, tinging them with its crimson glow.

"Oh," he growled, that one word filled with palpable rage. "I'll do far more than hurt you if you've done anything to her, Lucy. You know more than anyone what I'm capable of."

He squeezed…

"SIR!" A man's hand grabbed hold of David's left arm and tugged him off of Lucy, quickly moving to stand in-between them. "I think you should leave sir, before you do anything you might regret."

The man was somewhat on the heavy side butdidn't look particularly strong. He could easy take him, and he knew it, but David could feel other's eyes upon him and despite his anger, didn't desire to get potentially arrested for beating the shit out of some stranger.

He caught Lucy's eyes, her beseeching expression and could feel his anger grow exponentially. The sane reasons not to fight fading rapidly as he-

' _David…'_

Monika's eyes seemed to flicker before him, her face, her smile…

And suddenly he didn't find Lucy's sad face all that interesting.

The fight seemed to leave him as quickly as it had come. He didn't even need to think about it, consider it for even a moment as he ran out of the store before thought or violent impulse could claim to have influenced him at all.

He didn't see the sad smile on Lucy's face as she opened her phone, the glint in her eye as she nodded to her _savior_ and dialed a number.

"It's done, he's going to her," she informed smoothly. "Yes sir, he bought it perfectly. But there's something else sir…his eyes they-"

The call continued for not a minute more before she ended the call and walked away, sighing to herself ever so slightly.

David hadn't stopped running and had developed a light sheen of sweat upon his forehead as he continued to race down the street, ignoring the stares of passers-by as he neared his home. He found himself outside his front door in record time and fumbled for his keys, nerves and adrenaline making the simple task harder than it had any right to be.

Eventually he managed to open the door and shut it behind him as he raced inside, throwing his coat on the nearest peg. Panic was very clear on his face as he darted around his small home.

"Monika!" he yelled, searching room after room, his fear growing as he found each deserted. "Monika, where are you?!"

He raced back into his living room and stood still, panicked thoughts and gasping breaths all he could manage as a horrible bout of clarity hit him hard.

' _She's not here, they've taken her, they've taken her away from me!'_

His head was spinning, painful, the previously forgone sharp throb having returned with a vengeance.

' _This can't be happening…'_

"David?"

David spun around and immediately for a moment couldn't comprehend what his eyes were showing him. But as the bathroom door opened, he felt the fear drain away as Monika's wet head poked itself out, her expression one of concern.

"You're okay," he breathed, smiling tiredly as he began to walk over, only to stop as he took in her damp hair and wet face.

"I was the last time I checked," she replied, grinning at him casually until she took in his appearance and frowned slightly. "I was having a late shower, so I didn't hear you come in. What's the matter, did something happen?"

David blinked and frowned, realization worming its way onto his face. "Then she…lied, or he just hasn't done anything yet."

This time Monika blinked, curiosity biting at her. "Who lied?"

"Lucy."

The curious look was replaced by clear irritation before she could think to mask it, the mere name of that woman being enough to ruin any lingering pleasure she had from her _lovely_ shower.

"She followed you to Sainsburys?" she asked, voice remarkably calm for how she felt.

David frowned before nodding, his mouth opening for a fraction of a second before taking in Monika's appearance.

He blushed and looked at her sheepishly. "Perhaps we could talk about it after you get dressed?"

Monika blinked and looked down at herself, cheeks quickly becoming flush as she took note of the towel barely covering her.

"Ah, yes…" She looked back at David and laughed despite the situation.

' _It feels good to know he desires me too.'_

David attempted to grin, but it came out as more a grimace. "Well um…" Was it him, or did his head suddenly feel heavy. "I uh…what was…" His head was pounding, more so now than before.

He was…was he…he…

A roar of thunder filled his ears, unheard by all but him.

T _ **he**_ w **or** ld wa _ **s**_ **s** pi **n** n **in** g.

"David?"

He looked at her and blinked once…twice…and the promptly collapsed onto the floor.

"DAVID!"

Not caring the least bit for her semi-nudity, Monika dove out of the bathroom and knelt beside him, his face in her hands as she shook him.

"David wake up, what's wrong?!" she cried, slapping his face softly. When she got no response from the unconscious man, she felt herself beginning to panic. "No, no, no, don't panic. Check his pulse."

She put a finger to his neck and pressed lightly, a relieved expression upon her face as she took it off and looked at him. _'Okay, what do I do now? Do I call an ambulance?'_

A low, pained moan snapped her out of her thoughts and onto David, the man in question squirming on the floor before his hand reached up and rubbed his forehead gingerly.

"David!" Monika cried, her hands cradling his face as she kissed him. "Oh God, I was so worried."

"Monika?" David's voice was weak, confused. But as he opened his eyes and found her, it seemed to regain its strength. "Why am I on the floor?"

"You just collapsed, David," she explained, relief flooding through her as he sat up. "Don't you remember?"

David frowned but, in the end, shook his head and looked at her, confused. "We were talking, weren't we?"

She nodded. "Yeah, until you collapsed. Do you feel alright?"

"I feel…I don't know, numb I think."

"Numb?" she echoed, eyes blinking. "W-Where, your arm?"

' _Is he having a heart attack?'_

"My head," he explained, rubbing it gently. "I don't know, it just feels heavy. Like there's a football inside it."

Slowly, he stood up and made his way to his sofa, falling on it heavily. Monika followed and sat down beside him, still clad in nothing but her towel. However, such embarrassments were beyond her in that moment, she could she nothing but the memory of him falling to the floor.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked softly, taking his hand in hers and smiled as he interlocked their fingers.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied, rubbing his thankfully painless head. "That was so weird, maybe I've been overdoing it."

"Or maybe Lucy did something to you?"

David blinked in surprise at how cold her tone was and regarded her warily. "In the middle of a crowded supermarket, I don't know Monika. Besides, she didn't even…"

Monika quirked an eyebrow at his halting speech and waited patiently, her anger towards _that woman_ simmering just beneath the surface.

"Well she could have…" David muttered quietly, seemingly to himself. "But how, she only touched me briefly and even then…"

Before Monika could inquire as to his theory, David's head snapped up and his eyes caught hers. "Wait, are you okay?!"

"Me?" she asked, confused at his change of subject. "You're the one who passed out, should I call an ambulance?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine now, just a bit dizzy. I'm more concerned about the game Lucy's apparently trying to play. Don't worry about me-"

His words seemed to catch back in his throat the moment they left it, but it was too late for him to take them back. He looked at Monika and immediately felt like the lowest of scum as her worried… _hurt_ eyes looked back at him in a way that made his heart break.

"Sorry, stupid thing to suggest wasn't it?" he mumbled, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from her emerald orbs. "I didn't think, I'm sorry-"

A delicate finger pressed against his lips, silencing him. Another caught his chin and pushed it up, until their eyes met once again.

She shook her head and smiled at him with such affection it made his head go numb.

"David," she said gently, her eyes soft. "I will _never_ stop worrying about you. I will _never_ stop caring about you." She tilted her head to one side and though David did not know it, her heart ached as she remember not for the first time…just how alone he was before she came into his life.

' _Oh David…'_

"I know it's unfair for me to say this again, especially so soon into our relationship but…" Monika's eyes became suddenly moist, her voice taught. She took a deep breath and smiled fondly at him. "But I love you, David. I always will, and I will never leave you. I'll say it until I'm blue in the face."

His eyes began to sting.

"David." She gently put her hands around his neck. "You will never be alone again."

Without another word she leaned over and captured his lips in a deep, slow kiss.

Although it had been a two months of varied and random bouts of kissing for David, it didn't stop him from feeling truly surprised by how much each seemed to affect him.

His thoughts would cease bar one, to keep her close to him. His heart would beat faster, his breath would threaten to leave his body. But the strangest, and the most powerful feeling of all would be the simplest one.

How much such a simple gesture of affection made him feel _so_ _happy_.

And then he felt it…a lone tear streaked down his face and onto her cheek. Monika pulled away slightly and looked at him, her expression tender, loving as she touched his wet cheek.

"It must have been so painful," she said, her hand stroking his cheek ever so softly. "All that solitude, no one truly caring about you, or understanding how you truly feel…or who you truly are. I cannot even say that I do completely, but I want to, I want to know you in every way I can."

"Monika…" David could say nothing more. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt like he wasn't alone. Another tear fell down his cheek, and another, and another…

"I'll give you all of me, if you let me have all of you," she whispered, her own tears slowly beginning to fall.

David could only nod, and this time _he_ leaned over and met her lips with his, their tears intermingled as they breathed unto the other. Eventually, slowly they parted and did nothing but breathe, their eyes locked, looking into one another as both hearts skipped a beat.

Monika smiled shyly and took a breath, before looking down at her towel. She looked back at David whose eyes were following her own…and let go her breath as she shimmed and the towel fell down, revealing _everything_ to him.

And she was perfect.

David couldn't breathe, he couldn't even think. He just…looked at her, at her bare beauty before finding his eyes, their eyes meeting once more.

"I'll give you all of me, if you let me have all of you," she echoed, her voice a soft whisper as their nervous eyes looked into each other.

Every reservation, every past thought he had of how long a relationship should be, could be…it didn't matter to him in that moment. It didn't matter that he'd only known her for four months.

All that mattered…was her, and how they felt for each other in that moment.

Monika smiled still ever so shyly at his stupor, unable to resist how pleased she was at his reaction to her body.

With nary a thought, she gently took his hand, noticing that both his and her own were trembling, and placed it upon her left breast. David let out a sharp breath, his eyes darting from it to her, only relaxing a fraction as her smile widened happily.

"I want…" Her words were soft, a quiet muttering as her eyes seemed to search his. "I want…"

Her hand reached out and lay upon his top, a small frown upon her a face before she moved it underneath the material, said frown becoming a small, joyful smile as he failed to restrain a gasp.

It didn't pass his then struggling thoughts that her hand was upon his heart.

Their eyes met again, hers soft, tender.

"All of you, all of me," she whispered, her voice almost a plea.

David leaned forward and she followed, meeting each other in the middle and kissing passionately. Neither cared to think about their position as Monika climbed atop him, skin still slightly wet from her shower.

Her body was warm, and she craved to feel his skin against hers. As if reading her thoughts, David took off his top and threw it to one side, both gasping as pleasure flooded through them.

He had never been this close with anyone.

"Monika-"

"No beloved, no talking. Just kiss me, be with me." Her words were raw with passion and need. She needed him, she wanted him and nothing else could even begin to throw that desire away.

And David could do no more than let her have it, have him as he became lost in his own desire.

His jeans were down within a mere moment and her hand wasted no time in finding him, gripping him gently, tightly, gently…her mind overwhelmed with nothing else than him as she greedily drank in every moan, shake and intake of breath he gave her.

She was in bliss, they both were…

And thus, failed to notice as red static crackled around them both, the intensity becoming greater, more powerful with every second they _drowned_ in each other.

"How interesting…"

The unfamiliar voice snapped both of them out of their stupor, but not in time to stop the stranger as both were quickly shot with darts, the static intensifying at the sudden threat. It was however all for naught as the substance within it swiftly forced the two into unconsciousness.

The static fizzled away.

Now the only one awake, the stranger stepped out of the shadows and looked upon the two, a curious frown upon her face as she pulled a phone from _somewhere_ in her dress and pressed a button.

"Your scientists were correct Mr Foam, both are…changed. Shall we proceed with the containment or leave them be?" A short moment passed, a few words spoken. "Very well, I will bring them both to you promptly."

She put the phone back into her pocket and looked back at the sleeping couple, a small smile upon her otherwise stoic face.

"My, my, David, what have you been keeping from us?" said a soft, velvety voice.

Emerging from the shadows came yet another woman. Attractive, wearing snug jeans and a top that barely covered her stomach.

"Enough to warrant Mr Foam's attention," said the well dressed, older woman. "David had his chance to come without fuss, he left his Father with no other choice."

"As long as I get what I'm owed then I don't care," said the younger woman, a rather unattractive expression upon her normally pretty face. "She goes, right?"

"That is for Mr Foam to decide. Just do as you're told, and you will get exactly what you deserve."

The younger woman giggled and moved over to David, reaching out with one hand to touch his cheek…only to flinch back and hiss as Monika's hand moved seemingly by itself to scratch hers away, the woman in question having let loose a low snarl.

"How did she do that, she's unconscious!"

"Hmm…"

"Don't hmm me, how did she do that?!"

The older woman ignored her and pulled her phone out again, pressing a button. "Mr Foam, we may have a problem separating the two. May I suggest you send a small bout of muscle? …Thank you, Sir."

She hung up and regarded David and Monika with a quiet, curious glance, before looking at the other woman. "I would not suggest trying to touch him again." She turned and gestured for her to follow. "Come Miss Pure, you shall get what you deserve in time."

Alison frowned unhappily at David but reluctantly complied and made to follow.

"I hope I can trust you, Miss Fiona."

No more was spoken, no more done.

No more…

…

David opened his eyes, the simple action sending a wave of dizziness throughout his head. He blinked and took in his surroundings, of which there was little. He was lying upon a bed within a bare darkened room, with scarcely enough vision to see beyond a few feet ahead of him.

"David?" Monika's frightened voice forced him to sit up and look in the direction it'd come from, his emotions all over the place as he just about took her in.

She wasn't naked anymore, but the clothes she had on were little more than rags that barely covered her. What incensed David the most however was the handcuff that bound her to a radiator by the wall.

Anger and fear coursing through him, David made to move only to be jerked back painfully. Turning to look, his heart fell as he realized that he too was handcuffed to the wall.

"David, where are we?" Monika asked, her voice strained as she fought to contain her fear. "I…I don't remember anything."

"I don't know…I don't remember anything either," he replied, straining his eyes to see her through the darkness. "We were kissing and then…I don't know."

Peering just enough to make out her frightened face, he tried to soothe her as best her could. "Hey, it's going to be okay. If whoever did this wanted to hurt us, they would have done it by now."

"Then why are we here, David?" she asked, voice pleading. "Is this…is this your Father's doing?"

David grimaced and looked around the bare room, as if it would give him all the answers. "I don't know, it's likely."

"But why now, why would he kidnap us?"

"I don't know," David repeated, fear clawing at his gut. "Another one of his lessons perhaps…or one his sick games, I don't know." Swallowing his paranoia, he forced himself to smile. "But I'll get us out of this Monika, I swear it. We'll get out of here and go back home, I promise."

He couldn't quite make her face out completely, but he knew that despite it all she was attempting to smile back.

"At least we're together," she said softly, her voice aching. "I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to be put through…through _this_ alone."

She reached out with her uncuffed hand and lost her smile as it fell back against her. "I wish I could hold you…"

"Monika..."

Suddenly a previously unseen door opened, cutting them off quite abruptly as someone walked in. The room was then swiftly bright as the lights were turned on and the two captives were able to see him perfectly.

"As much as I loath to break up this moment, I'm afraid that I must now ask for your attention."

He was a tall man, well built and dressed in a rather expensive looking suit. His salt and pepper grey hair gave him a distinguished demeanor, but it was his steel grey eyes that drew attention to him. They practically screamed power and respect, such was their cold appearance.

The man was handsome, she had to give him that. But given who he obviously was, it wasn't so surprising.

"Father."

"David."

Monika had always planned just what to say to this horrible man, but in that moment found herself speechless as she witnessed the raw hate pouring from David's eyes as he took in the man who raised him.

If she'd been looking from the right angle, she would have noticed an ever so slight crimson tinge.

The older man turned his attention to Monika and frowned at her appearance, the action reminding her of David by the sheer similarity. His eyes then moved to the handcuff and he sighed.

"I apologize, Monika," he said, tone surprisingly soft. "When I asked them to bring you in, I didn't think I needed to specify the need to do so comfortably." He looked back at David and noticed his similar predicament, a flash of anger simmering beneath his eyes. "Son…you know I would never-"

"Don't." David's voice hurt for her to hear, the anger, the pain in that one word. It was all she could do not to try and rip off the handcuff and go to him. "Just let her go, you can do what you want with me. Just let Monika go."

David's father looked at his son, a sudden flash of pride appearing upon his face. It was gone as quickly as it had come, but it left David slightly shocked.

"I'm going to let you _both_ go," his father corrected, a well-built man appearing from seemingly nowhere behind him. "I do require however, that you both come and join me in the main hall. There are things we need to discuss."

He looked at Monika and frowned again, an almost sad look flickering across his face. "Get the young woman some actual clothing, Vincent. And bring Miss Pure to the main hall, we obviously need to discuss how to treat guests in my home."

"Of course, Sir," Vincent, the man beside him agreed. He unlocked Monika's cuff first and was almost bowled over by her as she leapt up and ran to David, reaching for his already waiting hand and taking it tightly.

"Ma'am," Vincent said. "I need to…" He stopped and took her in, his eyes appearing to size her up before he nodded and rolled the keys along the floor. "I'll be back with clothing Ma'am."

Monika watched until he left the room and closed the door behind him. Only once the sound of his footsteps became nothing did she pick up the keys and unlocked David's cuff.

Her arms were around him before he could think to do the same, the young woman trembling as she fought to hold back tears. David felt his own eyes stinging and forced himself to blink them away. He couldn't fall apart here, he had to be strong enough for them both.

"I'm scared, David," she whispered.

"I know, me too," he replied quietly, rubbing soothing circles upon her back. "It's okay, we're going to be fine. I promised to get us back home remember?"

He felt her nod against him and held her closer, tighter.

And as if in irony, he could only remember his father's words as he watched her pull herself together.

' _Only the weak make promises they cannot keep.'_

David gritted his teeth as the words echoed within his mind, taunting him.

' _I'm not weak, we're getting out of here if it's the last thing I do.'_

He leaned down and kissed her head gently, looking into her eyes as she looked up into his, a brave smile upon her face.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I wasn't helping, was I?"

"We've just been kidnapped. If you weren't scared, I'd call you insane," David chuckled softly.

She giggled despite herself and gave him a quick kiss, a thankful one.

"I really do love you, David," she said, sighing softly as she felt his hug tighten.

"I know…"

The door opened once more and Vincent, the man from before stood with a small bag of clothing in his hands.

"Here you go, Ma'am," he said politely, walking over a few steps and leaving it on the floor before the two. "If you wouldn't mind knocking on the door when you're done, I'll take you both to Mr Foam."

Unwilling to say anything as his anger returned, Monika spoke for him. "Thank you, we'll do so shortly."

Vincent smiled and nodded politely once again, before stepped out of the room and closing the door behind him.

Monika let go of David and looked into the bag, smiling slightly at the uncharacteristically casual clothing within.

"I'll uh, turn away," David said, a small flush upon his cheeks as she began to take off the rags she was wearing.

"Don't." The simple refusal made him blink and knocked him off balance, but her genuinely happy smile snapped him back. "Don't you remember? All of me, for all of you. I want you to look"

He stared and just blinked, a small smile worming its way onto his face.

Monika's smile widened at his acceptance and she quickly took off her rags, said smile widening even further as it became quickly clear that David could look at nothing **but** her.

Once dressed, she looked at David and held out her hand for him to take, which he did. She interlocked their fingers and together, they walked towards the door and knocked twice.

They had been kidnapped from their home, they were scared, they wouldn't deny that.

But they were together and that gave them strength.

Little did they know just how much they would need it.

 _ **Welp, a bit longer than what I had planned but I just couldn't stop once I started :D**_

 _ **Please do remember to let me know what you thought, the more detailed the better my inspiration is for more chapters! (Hint, hint :D)**_

 _ **Cya, Stay Snuggly x**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Well it's certainly been some time now hasn't it?**_

 _ **I've kind of hit a rough spot in my life. Specifically the unemployed part, I have an interview tomorrow and will hopefully get my life back on track. But until then it's going to be rough from here on out.**_

 _ **But I guess there is a small good part to this, because during my unemployment I have somehow rekindled the spark I had for this story, and thus re-read the whole thing again.**_

 _ **Now to continue from where it left off, with David and Monika about to face off with David's father. So strap yourselves in and get ready for a show.**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Revelations**

"Enter."

The voice was unmistakable to David, for he had heard it countless times. The authority, the power laced within the tone on the one man David despised above all others.

It never failed to set his teeth on edge, make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. And as he opened the great door with Monika's hand held in his, the young woman besides him didn't need to look at her beloved to feel the utter loathing he had for the man ahead of them.

David's father.

If he was aware of his son's current state, his face showed no reaction to it. He merely looked down upon them, a small, mysterious smile on his face.

Monika took in the great hall around her curiously, the sheer vastness of the room making her feel very small. There were pillars to either side of her, three of them at each and made of what had to be some kind of rare stone. The windows were stained glass, each depicting some kind of battle with knights and monsters.

The floor was another rare stone, but the centre was covered with an immense red carpet, all of it leading up to a throne-like chair, laced with flecks of silver and crimson. To the side of the throne stood two women, both of which Monika knew, both of which were looking down at her and only her with different expression upon their faces.

Her eyes were almost twinkling with barely disguised glee, a low sneer, smug and subtle, yet detracting nothing from the natural beauty that was her face.

And the other, a curiosity within her gaze, but an otherwise emotionless expression upon a face that had a more mature beauty to it.

' _What is Alison doing here?! And…that woman, oh I can't remember her name!'_

In the middle of them sat David's father, dressed in an expensive looking suit. Even from the beginning of the hall, Monika could see a build not too dissimilar from her David's, though his arms were clearly straining the sleeves a little with powerful looking muscles.

' _He has more hair and their eyes are different colours. But this is David in a decade or two, they look so alike.'_ The thought was not too unsettling and might have even pleased her…if not for the whole kidnapping thing that was happening to her and David.

They reached the far centre of the hall when David stopped moving, the motion or lack off so abrupt that she almost fell over, managing to catch herself before she did only by sheer luck alone. If David noticed this, he showed no reaction, simply looking up at his father with undisguised hatred.

A moment passed, the another before his father stood up and walked towards them, stopping a few feet away and regarding the two of them with a look Monika couldn't identify.

"Welcome home, David," he said, looking at his son with a small smile, before turning his attention to Monika and tilting his head politely. "And to, Miss Salvato, welcome to my home."

It took strength for David not to attack the man. His mere presence alone had made him as stiff as a board, his hand holding Monika's so tightly that she could barely feel hers.

"David…"

David blinked and looked at Monika's pained expression, a wave of guilt hitting him as he loosened his grip on her hand.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to…" Monika's smile was all the reassurance he needed to halt his apology, his attention returning to the man before him, who's gaze was regarding the two of them with amusement.

"I must say, David. I never quite expected you to find anyone who could affect you so," he mused, his small smile infuriating his son. "Let alone a woman, but I suppose it could happen to any man."

"What you did to us was sick," David snarled, fighting himself not to lay into the man before him. "You've done some shit to me before, but you've never kidnapped me from my home. And Monika, you-"

His father put a hand up, the action silencing David on the spot, as if by reflex.

"Enough." The word alone made Monika shiver unpleasantly, for it wasn't a suggestion, it was an order, a command. "I am only going to say this once, son. So listen closely and listen well."

The man crossed his arms and regarded David as one would a petulant child. The condescending expression made Monika twitch, her hand squeezing David's in anger.

"You were asked not too long ago to come home, and you ignored it. You were asked not too long after again, and you ignored it. You were then warned yesterday of my impatience and instead of coming to your senses, you chose instead to ignore it again and became intimate with this young woman. So yes, you may be angry, in fact I welcome it. But son, believe me when I say this…I am **all out of patience with you."**

There was no denying the anger in his tone, Monika could practically feel it. But if it affected David, then he was doing a good job of hiding it, for the only expression on his face was hatred.

"Was there a point in that speech where I suddenly start caring?" David asked quietly, his voice so cold it made Monika's hair stand up on the back of her neck.

David's father merely stared at his son; his expression just as cold.

"You call me son, but you have never been a father to me. Fathers care, fathers love, and fathers understand. You've none of those traits, you've never had those traits. So yes, you can stand there and act all the disappointed angry father you want. None of it can change the past, and none of it can make up for stealing us away from our home and terrifying Monika."

A moment passed where Monika didn't dare breathe, the atmosphere in the room was stifling. The two men simply stared at the other, silence became their weapon.

And then David's father smiled ever so slightly.

"You are more of a man now than when you left," he said softly. "It seems that I was not mistaken in letting you go."

David blinked at his father in surprise, a disbelieving look upon his face. "You _let_ me go?"

His father chuckled. "Of course I did, I could have brought you back here at any time. Did you really believe that merely shouting some nasty words at me would be enough to stay my hand?"

Smiling slightly at his son's expression, he returned to the vast chair and sat down, regarding David with an expression that belayed his previous anger.

"I let you go to see who you would become," he began to explain, gesturing to Alison on his left. "But I did not do so without eyes of my own to keep an eye on you, you were never out of my sight, David."

"But you hated that I wanted to become a practitioner," David retorted, disbelief giving way to anger as he looked at Alison.

"Which drove you right to it," his father replied. "Where I already had a daughter of one of my clients working there. It took little time to get you in the job you wanted, they never would have hired you by your CV alone. It lacked…experience."

David couldn't speak, his whole world was beginning to crash down around him.

"I thought I was free of you," he growled, letting go on Monika's hand as he took a few steps forward. "I thought I was building my own life away from you!"

"Yes, that was the idea," his father answered, regarding his stunned son with apathy. "Your brother was given everything he ever wanted and now he is my biggest disappointment. Wasting his life with parties and flings, throwing his money, _my_ money around as though it grew on trees. My fault I suppose, I spoiled him too much after your mother…"

An expression that so closely resembled sorrow appeared upon his face, but it was gone so quickly that neither David nor Monika could claim to have seen it at all.

"No, David, you were never out of my sight," he continued. "I have needed a suitable heir to carry on my legacy, but you weren't ready at that time, you needed to live life as one would without wealth, without a silver spoon in your mouth and I knew you would take to it with greater ease than Mark. So I proposed a scenario I knew you would reject and allowed you to live life away from me and all the comfort you have known."

"You _knew_ I would reject the marriage proposal?" David asked, barely able to get the words out.

"Of course I did, unfortunately I couldn't let young Lucy in on my plan, but her genuine despair to you rejecting her made it all the more genuine, so it worked out in the end."

"You used Lucy?"

"I had to, she was made aware of it shortly after and has since then kept an eye on you from the shadows. She really does love you, David. A shame really that you've found another."

David winced and glanced at Monika.

But the young woman didn't even look at him, her heated, hate filled glare was focused entirely upon David's father.

The older man looked down at her and allowed an eyebrow to raise, a small smile upon his face.

"I detect a bit of anger, Miss Salvato?"

David swore then and there that it was a trick of the light, but as he looked at Monika her eyes seemed to almost glow, a crimson tinge dancing within them.

"You're a horrible man and even worse father," she spat, her voice so low it was practically a growl. "You used to abuse David, and now you use him and everyone around him, and for what, some game? Some way to continue your corrupt legacy?"

She moved so quickly that David barely had time to blink before she was beside him, her hand interlocking their fingers tightly.

"You won't hurt my David again." Her voice sent a shiver down David's back. "I don't care if I have to tear your eyes out. Stay away from him!"

There were a few seconds pause before David's father laughed, an otherwise pleasant sound outside of the situation. Monika simply snarled at him and narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"You pick your women well, son," he complimented, his small smile now a grin. "She defends you as a tigress would her mate, well done. I won't deny that I was heavy handed with David when he was young, it is not something that I enjoyed. But as my father taught me discipline, so too did I teach David."

"It was wrong, there are no if, ands or buts!" Monika all but snarled at him, putting herself in front of David protectively.

"Perhaps so, but you cannot deny that when compared to his brother who I never once disciplined in the same manner, David is most certainly the one who turned out better for it."

There were a few more seconds of silence before he put his hands together and looked down at the young adults, his gaze finally resting upon Monika curiously.

"Alas we could be here all day discussing my choice of discipline. It is neither here nor there anymore, it is the past. The present is my current concern, or moreover _you_ are my current concern."

"What are talking about?" David asked, eyeing his father with a harsh gaze.

"I believe you know exactly what I am talking about, David."

Outwardly, Monika showed no reaction to his words. But on the inside, she was panicking.

' _What is he talking about, he can't possibly know about…about me, right?'_

"You must understand that I was watching David for some time, through other's of course. And then out of nowhere, you seemed to just…appear. Remarkably around the same time as when David got struck with lightning." He stopped talking and narrowed his eyes a touch, suspicion clear within them.

"I must admit that I was quite confused, and I am rarely confused. So I got in contact with a few good friends of mine to see what they could find out, and yet they returned…empty handed. You simply seemed to appear from thin air, which left me with three possible explanations."

He took a deep but short breath and then continued.

"One, you were an orphan who simply slipped through the cracks of the system, a sad fate but it does unfortunately occur. Two, you are a very well hidden child of one of my political enemies. Which if true makes you _dangerous_ to have around my son."

He stood up quickly and walked towards Monika, stopping a few feet away and only when David stood between them. His gaze however was not for his son and remained on the now visibly scared woman.

"Or three and perhaps the most ludicrous. You and the lightning that hurt my son are…connected somehow."

"What do you mean, connected?" David asked, his face giving away nothing.

His father looked at him for a few moments before he clicked his fingers. Vincent, the man that gave Monika clothes was beside David's father in a moment, a single sheet of paper in his hands.

"Alison, kindly leave the hall for now. These words are not for your ears."

Alison looked like she was about to argue, but a look from the woman beside her was all she needed to comply and leave the hall swiftly.

"Fiona, make sure she does not eavesdrop."

"Yes sir," Fiona acknowledged, a short tilt of her head following before she too left the hall.

A moment of silence passed on by, David and Monika's hands holding onto the other's tightly as they both regarded the older man before them.

"You asked what I meant," his father continued quietly, taking the sheet from Vincent and turning it around slowly. "What I meant David, is that sometimes the strangest things can occur. Even those you could deem impossible."

David looked at the sheet, or rather the picture that was upon it and his face went white. He didn't need to look at Monika to know she was of a similar description.

It was a picture of Monika…except it wasn't a picture of the Monika beside him. It was a picture of her sitting behind the desk _in the game!_

"The similarities are beyond coincidence," David's father said quietly, regarding the two and frowning slightly. "At first, I thought it an impossibility, but there have been signs of…unusual activity around Nuneaton lately. I'd suspect you'd know more if you ever watched the local news channel or read the paper, but you never have, and I doubt that changed when you left. Still, imagine my surprise when Vincent found his son playing a game that revolved around young Monika here."

His gaze rested solely on Monika, the woman in question frozen at the revelation.

"I still didn't believe it," Vincent said suddenly, looking at Monika curiously. "Until I saw you earlier. Your eyes are the same, not just coincidentally but exactly the same as the game I found on my sons' computer. Your face, your hair even without the bow, everything."

Monika didn't even consider trying to lie, her face had given her away. Both of them had the moment they saw the picture.

"The question now is, what do we do with you?" David's father stated, his voice lacking in any emotion as he looked at her. "As far as the world is aware, you don't exist. You are no more than an idea, no more than speck of data come to life. You've come to my home and if I choose, will not leave. And the world will not care, for they will not know. So tell me, Miss Salvato. What happens now?"

…

"If you touch her, I will kill you."

In all the time Monika had known him, in all the times he had shown anger and hatred, even today when confronting his father and discovering all of his manipulations.

In all of that time, Monika had never heard David sound so dangerous.

"David." Her voice, usually enough to snap him out of his rage did nothing to change his murderous expression as he looked at his father.

"I don't care if you break every bone in my body. If you so much as touch Monika, I will use everything I have, everything I have ever known and find some way to kill you with it. Father or not. **You do not touch her!** "

Father stared at son, and son stared at father. Neither backed down as eyes met and words, silent yet loud were said.

And then, without warning, David's father…smiled.

"Why would I do anything to harm Miss Salvato, when she has clearly changed you into a man of strength?" he said, pride clear within his voice as he looked at his son.

"When why did you insult her, and say you were going to hurt her?" David asked, still between Monika and his father, heart pounding in his chest.

"Is it not obvious?" his father asked. "I wished to see what you would do. And like the lioness defending her mate, so too does the lion protect his. You are more my son now then you have ever been. And I am proud of the man you've become."

The words alone were ones David had always told himself he never needed to hear. Not from a father who repeatedly told him what a weak and pathetic son he was. And yet upon finally hearing them, it made his eyes itch terribly.

"The both of you will stay here while I make the necessary arrangements to get Miss Salvato an actual identity. Then once that is done, you may leave as and when you wish."

"An identity?" Monika asked, the question slipping out without warning, the fight, the self- righteous anger on David's behalf fading away as she listened. "You mean…"

David's father smiled at her and tilted his head politely. "Yes, Miss Salvato. You will _exist_ in this world beyond the physical. A birth certificate, passport, a license should you desire to learn. All shall be yours within a few days. As far as the world will be aware, you will be as real as the rest of us."

Monika could only stare at him as her world, for a moment, suddenly felt much lighter.

"Thank you."

David's father merely nodded his head and smiled gently.

"Call me Tobias, please. We are after all going to become close in the coming days."

Monika could only nod, her head spinning as one of her pipe dreams became true before her eyes. With her face buried in David's chest, she didn't notice David's expression of distaste as his father, Tobias Foam left the room with Vincent.

She didn't notice the self-loathing in his eyes as he looked at her, the woman he had come to care for so much and found himself torn like he had never been torn before.

Because unlike the young woman clinging to him so happily. Unlike the young woman who not a few minutes ago had been ready to tear out his father's eyes just to protect him. David had looked at his father and saw straight through his pretty words and promises.

He saw through them and felt something that had nothing to do with Monika's happiness.

David Foam felt fear, true fear.

Promises made and words spoken like honey, like a spider to the fly, a trap set and the both of them were stuck in it.

Neither of them were ever leaving here.

"David?" A hand upon his face, a gentle, loving touch that brought him out of his thoughts and back unto reality.

He looked at Monika and opened his mouth to speak, to crush her sudden happiness…when he noticed something. Something within her eyes as she looked, stared, gazed into his.

Amusement.

"You didn't really think I bought any of that, did you?" she whispered, a sly smile upon her face.

"I…" Embarrassment, clear as day for her to see, to hear in the tone of his voice. "Might have done, yeah."

"A few pretty words and promises and I'm sold?" she quirked an eyebrow at her stupefied boyfriend and giggled lightly. "David, I'm not just a pretty face hon."

"And here I thought I'd have to break your heart," David whispered, chuckling at her amused expression.

"Mr Foam, Miss Salvato?" A young woman dressed in formal uniform poked her head through the vast door to the main hall, looking at the two of them with a soft smile. "I've been asked to show you your room, do you require two separate beds or…"

"No, no, we're good with one," Monika said, cutting across David before he could say anything. She turned and smiled gently at her confused boyfriend, taking his hand in hers as she took the lead.

Together they left the great hall and together they remained.

But for how long…

Time would tell.

 _ **Whoosh, not as long as the last chapter. But it should do for now :D**_

 _ **Cya, Stay Snuggly!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hey! Look at that, it didn't take me half a year this time!**_

 _ **Well, if you like, you could reward me by giving me lots and lots of lovely reviews! Honestly makes my day!**_

 _ **In any case, let's get back to the chapter.**_

 _ **A quick recap though, something I think I'll start doing for every chapter. Just skip it if you feel all caught up –**_

 _ **David and Monika just had their confrontation with David's father, Tobias Foam, the man who also instructed his underlings to kidnap them. Many things were discovered, such as Tobias using his underlings to keep an eye on David, even at work via Alison Pure.**_

 _ **And also having manipulated David into 'growing into a man' via many more manipulations, such as deceiving his David's childhood friend, Lucy, into believing that she would marry David, but knowing full well that David would never accept it, and instead run away.**_

 _ **But perhaps the worst of all, Tobias KNOWS who Monika is and where she came from, and though he has promised to get her the means to have a life, Monika saw right through him and knows that he's up to something.**_

 _ **Now the two have been shown to their room, with a single bed at Monika's request. It is there that their story continues…**_

 _ **Remember, rated M for Mature! So expect mature scenes this chapter.**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Commitment**

David entered the room almost absentmindedly.

His brain just wouldn't work, couldn't work. He had been used, manipulated into doing exactly what his father wanted him to do. And after thinking for so long that he'd escaped his father's shadow, to only understand that it had stuck to him as if his own.

The realization had practically knocked the sense out of him, and seemingly as consequence, white noise began to ring in his ears.

' _I was used all this time. I thought I'd escaped him, I thought I'd finally made a life for myself by myself. But he was there the whole time, pulling the strings, my strings…and the strings of others.'_ The image of Alison Pure flickered to the forefront of his mind, and he could barely fight back the rage he felt due to it. _'She was HIS ALL THIS TIME! To think that I believed she was merely a desperate skank when she was spying for my father all along. If I had ever had a moment of weakness and accepted her advances, then I…I…'_

He couldn't finish the thought, the utter betrayal that would come with it would scar him forever.

But his rage, his hatred couldn't be contained. It festered beneath the surface, always there. But now, having uncovered all the manipulations, all the spying, all the betrayal from a man who was supposed to love and care for him.

It couldn't be contained.

The door had barely shut behind him when David picked up the closest thing, a flower vase, and threw it at a nearby wall. But it wasn't enough, he wasn't going to be satisfied with that, it was too easy, too quick. And so he grabbed at a chair and threw it to the ground, shattering the wooden legs easily.

But it still wasn't enough. His hatred was pooling out of him like black water, his rage a hot tundra of fire pouring from him, agitated, enraged.

"He manipulated me," he growled, objects no longer enough as he punched the wall hard. "I'm his damn son and he used me like a tool, and for what? To carry on his fucking legacy! To grow a pair, to BE A MAN!"

He punched the wall again and again, his knuckles beginning to bleed.

"Well fuck you, Dad! Fuck you and FUCK YOUR FUCKING GAMES!" He raised a fist to hit the wall once more…and found that he couldn't. Something was holding him back, talking to him, saying something. But with the white noise blaring in his ears he couldn't hear anything other than the blood rushing through them.

…and then it all stopped.

David blinked and looked to his right, the visage of a visibly scared Monika looking back him, her eyes wet with tears.

And then he heard her voice.

"It's okay David, it's okay."

Her voice was surprisingly steady for how afraid she looked. And yet had David only asked, he would've understood.

She wasn't scared that he'd trashed the room, or that he'd screamed and roared like a wild animal as he wailed against the wall. She wasn't even scared as he looked at her like that, eyes practically mad with rage that had barely begun to cool.

No.

She wasn't afraid of him, she afraid for him. Afraid that after calling his name numerous times to no response that he wouldn't stop, that he would do something more than hurt his hand.

"Monika..." The name left his lips and Monika could feel his shame within it, wrapped around her name. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me. I was just so…so…"

Monika shushed him softly, her hand cupping his bleeding fist and unravelling it with her tender touch. The bleeding wasn't too bad, luckily more a surface scratch on the skin than anything else.

David's hand was shaking as she held it and Monika felt her heart break as she looked up and watched him struggle to keep himself together. Before he could move away or make an excuse, Monika had slipped her way in and had manoeuvred his head onto her left shoulder.

The action alone was enough to make David try to move away, to leave her touch. And yet as though two steps ahead of him, Monika's hand had wrapped itself around the back of his head, a soft pressure encouraging her beloved boyfriend to keep his head on her shoulder.

David felt his heart lurch, his eyes sting like crazy as he tried so hard to push his emotions down. The rage had left him, Monika's gentle embrace had turned it into something far worse for David.

Weakness, horrible, tearful weakness.

He'd felt tears sting at his eyes before at his home, when Monika had offered all of her for all of him. He'd never felt so in touch with someone before, so wanted, so…loved.

But this was different. This was his anger turned into despair, this was weakness, and he couldn't show weakness. He couldn't show…

' _I can't cry, I can't cry.'_ The mantra repeated itself over and over in his head, a thousand words in a blink. _'Foam's don't cry, Foam's don't cry, Foam's don't cry,_ F-Foams don't cry, F-F-Foams don't…"

David blinked, tears fighting against him to fall as his inner thoughts escaped into reality. Fear began to fill him as he remembered all the times his father had pushed him away, had sneered, had yelled at him for being weak.

But alas, David seemed to have forgotten. For Monika was not his father, was nothing like his father. She didn't push him away, she didn't scream at him for being weak, she didn't even sneer.

She just held him tighter, closer to her, nuzzling his short hair ever so lovingly as she spoke ever so softly in his ear.

"Shhhh, it's okay to cry, David." Her hand began to stroke the back of his head soothingly, her fingers drawing small circles. "You don't have fight it, not with me. I love you so much, I will never abandon you."

She felt his grip on her tighten at this, could practically hear his mind and heart fighting with each other to believe her.

"You can't s-see me like t-this," David mumbled, his words tight in his throat as they fought past the lump that had formed within it. "P-Please don't see me like this."

He tried weakly to escape her hold.

And yet she did not let him go. She did not loosen her embrace on him as his body began to tremble.

"Shhhh, it's okay," she whispered, reaffirming her gentle hug as she effortlessly pulled him back from the minute distance he had managed. "You're safe with me, David. You're safe and loved, and I will _never_ leave you."

"Monika…I c-can't, I…"

Monika smiled sadly and held him as the first sob left his lips.

"Let it all out my love," she soothed softly. "I'm right here, David. I'm right here."

Once it was let loose, David couldn't hope to stop the flood. He forced himself to try and keep his sobs quiet, but they defied him in noisy, breathless gasps as tears streamed down his face. Throughout it all, Monika simply held him, her fingers rubbing the back of his head as he fell apart in her arms.

It took time, longer than David could begin to count at that moment. But eventually his sobbing began to cease, and the tears dried upon his cheeks. His trembling remained, softer than before but there still all the same.

Monika waited for what could only be the right moment before she loosened her embrace and let David's head move back from her shoulder. He looked at her, eyes red and cheeks stained, and Monika could do nothing to stop her heart from breaking at the sight of him.

"I'm sor…" The words were mumbled at first, forcing David to clear his throat for a second, more coherent attempt. "I'm sorry about that, Monika. I didn't mean to lose control like that."

"Stop."

He looked at her and almost immediately looked away, unable to bear the look she gave him. Not a harsh look, not a sympathetic look, nor a pitiable one.

No.

In the brief moment his eyes met hers, David felt as if his breath had been stolen. For the sheer amount of…of what had to be…

"Look at me, David." Her voice was full of it too, each and every word that left her mouth was coated in it. But after showing such weakness, he wasn't deserving of it. He couldn't look at her, he couldn't look at her and blemish her lovely face with his sad, pathetic looking features.

And then she moved closer, a hand effortlessly turning his head, causing his eyes to meet hers again. Again the emotion within seemed to pull him in, drowning him, leaving him with no escape, nowhere to run as the poor man found himself unable, unwilling to look away again.

"You are not weak, David," Monika said softly, a gentle smile upon her face. "Showing me this is the mark of a strong person, not a weak one. It takes strength to show others your tears, not weakness."

"I should never have showed you that," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

"But I'm glad that you did," she refuted, smiling still as she cupped his face with both hands. "Look at me, David. Look at my face, my eyes. Am I scorning you for showing me such _weakness_? Am I showing you in any way, shape or form that I am going to abandon you now?"

David looked at her just like she asked. He looked at her eyes and saw a tender affection so great it threatened to swallow him whole. He looked at her face, her smile so gentle, so full of love for him and only him…and it made him feel safe, happy, wanted…needed.

"No," he said, the word shaking as it passed his lips. "I don't think you are going to leave me."

Her smile widened greatly, eyes suddenly shiny as they looked into his.

"Never David," she said firmly, softly. "I'll never _ever_ leave you."

She moved a hand and stroked his cheek, her breath becoming shaky as he reached up to keep it there.

"You really do love me," he said quietly, silently marvelling at the young woman before him.

"I always have," she confirmed, inching ever closer. "Didn't you believe me before?"

"I made of show of believing you, but really I didn't want to," he admitted, closing his eyes in shame. "If I did and you left me, it would have hurt me more than anything."

Monika didn't say anything, she knew that David had more to say, that he had to get everything out here and now, and if she said anything then he might stop. And that would ruin everything.

"I don't understand how we've become so close," he continued softly, his skin itching lightly from his dried tear tracks. "After growing up how I did, after all the people I've met and the ones that I was once fond of. No one has ever made me feel like this."

He became silent for a short while, looking at her, taking her in. Monika felt herself _burn_ beneath his gaze, a warm flame all for her.

"Like what?" Monika asked, her voice so gentle it almost hurt for him to hear.

"Like I'm needed," he answered. "Like I'm needed and wanted and…and loved. I've never felt so loved before, not by anyone, not even Lucy. But when you look at me like you are now, I can feel it. It's so strong, I feel like I'm drowning in it. Drowning and yet I never want to surface, I just want it, want you. And it bothers me how much the idea of losing it feels so frightening. No one has ever had so much power over how I feel…no one.

"A part of me wants to push you away. Push you away so you can never hurt me, never have so much control over me, never-"

He felt her lips upon his, soft and gentle. His thoughts, his worries became muddled and lost, and like that the words he tried to say melted away.

Her lips left his slowly, reluctantly as her eyes came back into view and captivated his. He couldn't move them, he could…but he couldn't.

"Don't be afraid of me, David," she urged, voice delicate. A gentle hand reached up and cupped his cheek. "You have your guard up so much. But you don't need it with me. Let me in…"

David's gaze flickered with palpable longing, so tangible that Monika felt her own craving, her insatiable yearning for the man reach out to hold him, to take him into her embrace and hide him from all who would hurt him.

"I'm worried what might happen if I do," he admitted quietly.

She couldn't stop the smile that filled her pretty face. He sounded so raw and vulnerable, and yet that desire for her that she felt for him all the time was there too, laced, wrapped around his words.

"Would letting me inside here." She lay a hand upon his chest and felt his heartbeat, the rhythm quickening beneath her touch. "Truly be so terrible, David?"

Barely a moment passed before he answered.

"No…I don't think it'd be anything less than wonderful."

"Then let me in," she urged gently, cupping his face with both hands as she pulled him closer, her breath upon his lips. "You make me feel so safe David. You make me feel like a real person, like I matter. All I want is to give you the same. I want you to feel like I do when you look at me. I want your heart to dance when I hold you, like mine does every time we touch."

David felt whatever walls he had left crumble as her words wore them down. No one had ever spoken to him like that, no one had ever made him feel what he felt in that moment.

"You're my _whole world_ , David," she admitted, her eyes never leaving his, urging him to believe her. "We've only known each other for four months, I know. But it feels like I've always known you, and I want to know more of you. I want you to wake up every day and feel safe and loved. But most of all, I want to be your whole world too."

Her lips trembled slightly as she took in his stunned expression, a soft smile forming as she saw true realization _finally_ come to her beloved.

"There we go," she whispered, stroking his cheek softly. "Do you believe me now?"

David blinked but could only nod, a small smile of his own worming its way onto his face. Blinking again, he took his eyes off of Monika and looked around the room, wincing at the broken vase and chair upon the floor.

"I don't think I've ever felt so angry before," he said, following Monika's eyes as she looked at the broken furniture. "I'm sorry I acted like that in front of you."

"I'm not." Her rebuttal caused his eyebrows to rise in disbelief. "We all get angry, David. Breaking a chair isn't going to hurt my delicate feelings, I promise." Hearing the humour in her words was like a balm to his worried mind, soothing his troubled thoughts.

"I'm glad," he admitted, rubbing his face as he wiped away the remaining wet spots.

She looked back at him and grinned lightly. "Why, did you think I'd finally come to my senses and run away or something?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly but didn't answer. Not that he needed to, his silent embarrassment said it all for her. Monika's grin widened and before he could so much as blink, she pulled him back to her and kissed him deeply.

Before he could so much as get a coherent thought however, she pulled back and smirked at his slightly rosy complexion.

"I'll use it as insurance that If I ever lose my shit and start throwing things, you can't run away either," she said, inwardly cheering as a big grin formed upon David's face.

"You know, you sure do swear a lot more than you used to," he chuckled, a crooked grin finally upon his face.

"Don't tell me you don't like it?" Monika asked, beaming as she heard him laugh.

"I didn't say that, I'm just surprised. I'm fairly sure you said _before_ that you didn't like doing it?"

' _Before…ah, he means in the game.'_

"I guess you've rubbed off on me some," she replied, grinning at him.

"I guess so," he chuckled, looking at her almost questioningly. "You know this is a bit random, but I don't actually know why I've never thought about this. Why do you sound British?"

Monika blinked at this, surprise filling her internally as the thought crossed her mind too.

"That's a really good point actually," she said, nibbling her bottom lip in thought. "Dan Salvato is American, the game is American. But I have the same accent as you, I always have."

She looked at him before a sudden smile appeared upon her face.

"Well, I suppose it just makes us all the better a match!" she declared, her smile widening as he nodded back.

"True enough," he laughed, pulling her closer to him, much to her amused surprise. "To be honest, I've never really been a huge fan of American accents. Nothing against them of course, but I've always been one for the Aussie girls myself. There's just something about that accent that does things to me."

"Oh?" Monika's right eyebrow rose curiously, a wry grin upon her face. "So you're saying that if you met some random girl from Australia that you'd be _captivated_ by her enunciation?"

He grinned back. "Maybe…"

Eyebrow still quirked upwards, Monika put a finger on his nose and traced it down to the bottom of his chin, forcing David to shudder at the rather pleasant feeling it gave him.

"But I doubt they could do that to you," she whispered, moving slightly as she began to kiss the side of his neck. "Or this…or this…"

"Careful now," he warned breathlessly. "I'm all over the place at the minute. Keep doing that and I don't know what'll happen."

He felt Monika smile against his skin and shivered as she licked it lightly.

"Maybe I like to live dangerously," she purred in his ear.

She licked his neck again and kissed it, scrapping it gently with her teeth and grinning as his hold on her tightened.

"Last chance," he cautioned.

Monika merely hummed her agreement…before moving closer against him, hip to hip, giggling as she _felt_ him against her.

"I think I'm a bit better than some random Aussie girl," she said, her voice low and sultry as her hand moved down, a single finger tracing the length of _him_. David inhaled sharply at her touch but made no move to stop her.

He'd entered the room in a fury, met Monika in the middle with despair, but now at the end with his emotions here, there and everywhere, rage and sorrow were the furthest things from his mind.

David felt hot, he felt drawn to her, to her touch, to her words, to her lips as they began to kiss his neck again and again.

And before he knew it, he'd quite literally picked Monika up and thrown her onto the king size bed. But if it affected her, she showed nothing to imply it. The young woman was up and pulling him atop her before he could so much as begin to think to do so by himself.

Their lips met in a passionate battle, a war for dominance that neither was willing to let the other have in that moment. Clothes began to find themselves tossed around the room as both quickly became bare of everything bar their undergarments.

David, despite lacking in any experience seemed not to need any as he began to kiss down her neck and unto the hollow part of it, drawing a needy gasp from a slowly writhing Monika. His fingers traced her stomach, a burning touch inflaming the passions of the woman it belonged to.

Not to be outdone, Monika's fingers traced his chest, marvelling at how strong it felt as her hands moved down and down and down until she had him, held him, gripped him. The action alone forcing David to let loose a lusty growl, his reaction bringing a sultry smile to her face.

And then he slipped his hand into her soaked underwear.

"Oh my God," she gasped, her unoccupied hand reaching behind his back and pulling him closer.

"You okay?" David asked, concern upon his breathless features.

Monika nodded rapidly, a hand to his head pulling him closer still as she tried to talk between kisses. "It feels really good, don't stop love."

David had no idea what he was doing, but as lust clouded his mind once more, he found that really, he didn't bloody care.

Monika could only writhe against him as his hand, clumsy though it was, managed to bring pleasure that dwarfed any she'd done by herself as it rubbed in a circular motion, brushing against one particular spot that forced moan after desperate moan from her.

She wasn't an expert either, her hand having slipped into his boxers was rubbing up and down his cock in a frenzy. But like her, David found that the pleasure he received from it crushed any he'd given by his hand alone.

Almost without thought, she reached behind her and unclipped her bra, tossing it to some unspecified corner of the room. David stared at her teardrop shaped breasts and couldn't even so much as think to stop himself as he bent down and licked one gently. Monika's eyes rolled back as a warmth spread from her nipple to her head, mixing in with the pleasure she was still receiving as he continued to pleasure her soaked arousal.

She moaned lightly, causing David to look up at her and smile happily, enjoying the fact that she felt this way because of him.

He moved off her breast and kissed her lips fervently, Monika moaning against his as she tried to return it with just as much passion, panting as he moved onto her neck.

"Love you so much, love you so fucking much," she gasped, her hand leaving his arousal as both wrapped around his back, her nails digging in lightly as her pleasure rose and rose and rose and-

"It's coming, it's coming David, oh, OH!" David could only watch in a lusty amazement as Monika's back arched, her eyes wide and smile wider as her whole body shook helplessly against him. He kept his motions up, letting her ride out her orgasm until she put a trembling hand upon his and pulled it away from her soaked sex.

"That looked good," he laughed, smiling as Monika started laughing too.

"It was…absolutely amazing, you were amazing David," she giggled, looking up at him in her afterglow daze with a silly grin on her face. "Come here baby."

Barely registering his new pet name, David complied and let Monika pull him down, letting his weight rest easily on her as she kissed him deeply.

"I'm not crushing you, am I?" he asked, his stomach doing backflips at the look she was giving him.

She shook her head and smiled lovingly up at him. "I'm stronger than I look, David. Don't worry, you feel like a warm pillow."

"Good to know," he chuckled, leaning down and kissing her again.

"Mhmm," she moaned against him, only to suddenly pull away and giggle at his confused expression. "No, no. Kissing can come later, it's your turn now."

"My turn?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him, smirking as realization dawned upon her silly boyfriend.

"Oh."

"No objections I take it?" she asked, her hand already pulling his boxers off. "Good boy."

"You don't have to," he said, kicking himself internally almost immediately after saying it.

Monika simply grinned and wrapped her hand around his _quite_ ready tool. "Are you _sure_ you don't me to?"

David licked his lips but shook his head, silently urging her to _never let go_.

"You silly man," she chuckled, moving her hand slowly up and down. "You just made my world explode, love. I want to make you feel that too. I am your girlfriend remember, so I've got to make sure that I treat my boyfriend right, yeah?"

David was listening to her, really, he was. But her hand was really distracting and so he could do no more than smile and nod. Monika, being the smart cookie that she was, noticed this and grinned, marvelling at how much control her touch gave her over him.

Nibbling her bottom lip as she concentrated, Monika found herself watching his reactions to her steadily varying movement.

' _Okay up and down…he likes that, but I think I can do better. What if I twist when I reach the head-"_ A large smile filled her face as David moaned lowly, his body literally trembling as her hand alternated its movements, twisting around his cock as it moved slowly up and down.

' _Yep, he definitely liked that one,'_ she giggled to herself as his hips seemed to lean up, following her movements. Monika looked at his member and grinned wryly. _'Hmm, I wonder if…'_

David's eyes were closed, the pleasure bouncing from his arousal to his brain and back again was more than he'd ever felt before. His eyes snapped open however, when he felt something wet encircle the head of his tool.

He looked down with eyes wide at the sight of Monika's mouth wrapped around the head of his cock. The young woman caught this and grinned around it, winking back at him as she twisted her hand once more, forcing a rumble of pleasure from her man.

"You don't have to do tha-"

David found his words cut off as she looked at him and removed her lips with a small pop, her sultry grin on extenuating her beauty.

"I might not have to," she said, grinning as her hand continued it's twisting motions. "But after seeing you like that, I damn sure want to." Whatever words he might have said left him as her mouth returned to its previous spot.

With all the sensations, varied in pleasure but filled with it nevertheless, it was to no surprise that David felt his end come quickly. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but Monika simply giggled as she felt his trembling increase dramatically.

She removed her mouth from him but kept her hand moving, watching in awe at what he touch was doing to her writhing boyfriend.

"Monika, oh fuck, I'm-"

"It's alright baby, do it! Do it, I wanna see it!"

As if waiting for permission, David found any feeble resistance crumble as he became undone in her grasp, spurting his essence onto his chest much to the delight of his very happy girlfriend.

She kept her movements going until his hand made a motion for her to stop, the young woman responsible for his state grinning as she shimmied over to him and accepted a rather dazed kiss from her beloved.

"You're sticky," she said, giggling as she poked at the substance and rubbed it between her fingers.

"No shit," he exhaled, his head light and empty as he tried to get his breath back. "I haven't cum like that in…well, I don't think I've ever cum like that."

She smiled at her handiwork and kissed him softly, smiling as his chest rumbled happily against her.

"Guess I'm a keeper then, yeah?" she joked, grinning wryly down at him.

"You always were," he replied, grinning back as her own widened significantly. "Come on, let's get showered. I think we're both a bit sticky."

"Together?"

He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "We both just watched each other lose control, rather messily in my case. I don't think that showering together will break a rule of some kind."

Monika grinned and flicked his nose, loving the way he blinked at the action.

"I know, I was only teasing," she whispered, yelping as David gently flicked her right nipple. "Hey!"

Quickly moving away and carefully stepping over the broken furniture, David looked back at a rosy cheeked Monika and grinned. "What do they say about payback again?"

Monika narrowed her eyes at him playfully and made her way over, David merely grinning back until she returned a smile of her own…and flicked him on the nose again.

"She's a bit of a bitch," Monika replied, smirking at his grumbling before pointing to the rather large bath at the end of the bathroom. "Forget a shower actually, I think it'll be nice to try a bath."

"A bath?" David asked, looking at it for a moment and smiling as he realized that it would be more than big enough for the two of them, as opposed to his dinky little thing back at his flat. "Sure, why not. Sounds relaxing."

Not fifteen minutes of waiting later, it was.

David lay against the bath with Monika between his legs, her head resting against his chest as she listened to the relaxing sound of his steady heartbeat.

And that's when it happened.

David looked down at Monika, who as if sensing his eyes upon her moved her head and looked up. Her eyes were soft as they gazed at him, full of tenderness and affection…and…

"I think I love you, Monika."

Monika blinked up at him, her expression almost befuddled…and then his words hit her, soft yet hard, dazing yet gentle.

"You love me?" she asked, her voice small, almost unsure that what she'd heard was real.

"I think…" David looked at her, at how quickly his strong girlfriend had become vulnerable at his words. And he knew then and there that he had to mean them, that he couldn't say more unless it were true.

…

"I think I do," he said, watching as a truly massive smile wormed its way onto her face. "I look at you and I feel amazing. You make me feel amazing and I want to make you feel amazing even if I don't because of it. I want to put your happiness before mine, and I don't know how or why…but I love you because of it."

"You love me?" she repeated; voice stronger, almost incredulous. "Really, you mean it?"

"I know nothing about love, I've never felt it…but what I'm feeling right now." He took a moments pause. "If that's what love feels like then it's for you, it's all for you."

Monika looked at him for a moment, two, three…and slowly sat up, the width of the large tub easily allowing her to turn around, to pull him close.

To kiss him slowly, deeply…lovingly.

"I love you too," she said, the both of them smiling shyly at the other. "I love you so much. I'm yours David, I'm all yours."

"I'm yours," he agreed softly, fighting back a shudder as that feeling, this _love_ for her flowed through him, so, so powerful. "God, I'm all yours Monika."

They embraced the other, clinging so tightly, basking in the others warmth. They were committed to each other now, completely committed whether they realized the depth of it or not.

But they were completely unaware of what they had just done. Completely unaware of the changes now happening inside.

Completely unaware…until it was too late.

 _ **And boom, chappy done!**_

 _ **Bit longer than the last one, but I guess I got my groove back. Still on the hunt for work but I've got a few interviews coming so wish me luck.**_

 _ **As always, I love your reviews so please don't forget to leave one, even if it's just a sentence. It really does motivate me to keep going.**_

 _ **Cya, stay snuggly x**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**And here we go again!**_

 _ **For all who reviewed my latest chapter, thank you so much. It really does inspire me to know that people care about my work. To those who've recently favourited/followed this story, thank you as well. I love all of you beautiful people.**_

 _ **Here's the recap! (As always just skip onto the chapter if you know what's up) –**_

 _ **David, having learned of his father's manipulations in his life, completely lost his temper upon entering his and Monika's room for the duration of their stay, throwing furniture and hitting the wall with his fist, hurting himself as he completely lost himself to rage. But Monika being the brilliant cookie that she is, took her beloved boyfriend into her arms and convinced the poor man to stop holding his emotions back, to stop seeing them as a weakness to be hidden from her.**_

 _ **It took a lot of soft words, but at last…within her embrace, he broke down in her arms and Monika stayed, held and spoke with him until he finally understood and accepted the fact that she**_ _ **loved**_ _ **him, a fact that due to his unfortunate past he'd never truly allowed himself to believe before.**_

 _ **With emotions high and a new admiration for his wonderful girlfriend burning through him, the two lovers took a new step and experimented in foreplay with each other, bringing the two of them closer in both trust, and as David finally realized, in love.**_

 _ **Now with his surprising admission finally out for Monika to hear, to understand, to feel. They are closer than ever before, even in ways they do not yet understand…**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Restraint in The Face of Temptation**

The bed he lay in was the nicest he'd had for a long time, soft mattress with the cosiest covers to match. It was quite nice…and yet it paled in comparison to the _other_ feeling.

Warmth.

But it wasn't just a simple feeling, a simple sensation that staved off a chill. No, it was more than that, much more.

His entire body felt more than warm, it felt… _warm_ , as if he was wrapped in the comfiest blanket known to man, and yet there was more. It was as if his body, his very blood, his life essence was lighter, like a weight he'd never known he had was being lifted up off his shoulders.

' _I've never felt this before, never. I feel…'_

What he felt; David had no word for. There was simply no word powerful, meaningful enough in the English language to describe it. But if he had to choose one…

' _Is this bliss, I've…I've never felt anything like it. How am I…what is…'_

Slowly, the young man cracked open one eye and found himself staring blearily at the door a short distance away from him. Frowning slightly, he shifted upon the bed and blinked as he felt arms, arms that he hadn't realized were wrapped around his stomach, tighten around him in response.

It took a moment for the memory of the previous day to come back to him, but when it did, it did in a flurry of rapid firing images, each one blinking after the other until…he remembered just why he was in bed with Monika, and why her arms were wrapped around him so possessively.

He remembered what he had said to her, what he had…confessed to her. And he'd meant it, he knew it the previous night as they lay together in the bath, and as he laid next to her in their bed, he knew it then too.

" _I think I love you, Monika."_

The words had come out so easy, as if he'd been talking about the weather.

" _You love me?"_

He still felt his heart break at how vulnerable she had sounded. He knew then and there that his next words could make or break their current relationship.

" _I think…I think I do. I look at you and I feel amazing. You make me feel amazing and I want to make you feel amazing even if I don't because of it. I want to put your happiness before mine, and I don't know how or why…but I love you because of it."_

David had once heard a character in some movie say something like that. To put ones' happiness before your own…that was what it meant to love another.

" _You love me? Really, you mean it?"_

Again the tone, the tremble in her voice, the way her eyes began to brighten, her mouth stretching into a truly breath-taking smile.

" _I know nothing about love, I've never felt it…but what I'm feeling right now. If that's what love feels like then it's for you, it's all for you."_

David found himself smiling as he remembered the kiss he'd gotten for those words, for his…confession. There was no lust in it, no desire of _want_ for him within it. There had simply been her love, all of her love and every bit of her heart for him pressing against his lips.

' _I knew then and there that what I'd just said was true,'_ he thought, a small grin upon his face. _'I've been kissed before but never like that. A kiss has never made me feel so happy.'_

He shifted slightly and found Monika's arms squeeze his stomach in response, a tired mumble coming from the sleeping woman as her leg intertwined with his. The young man couldn't stop the grin as he felt her bare skin against his, the sensation unknowingly forcing him to shuffle slightly once more.

The barest of moment, the slightest distance away from her...and then before he knew it, her face was nuzzling against his left cheek, her breathing light against him.

"No."

David blinked at the single word, a light flush upon his face as his mind quickly realized just how cute she sounded like that.

Suddenly, the bliss returned, the _warmth_ soaking into his very core as she kissed his cheek, soft butterfly kisses that left too soon before returning, as if to apologize before doing so all over again.

David found his vision blurring as he felt himself become dazed, the young man _drowning_ in the sensation as warmth filled him from the tips of his toes to the very top of his head. He could barely speak let alone think and as he felt Monika smiling against his cheek, David could do no more than breathe heavily as he lost himself in her embrace.

But he was not the only one lost in the sensation.

Monika had felt it the moment David had first moved, her beloved boyfriend moving just a fraction out of her arms starting it all.

He'd moved…and Monika felt something within her become wider, emptier. It was as though she was losing something precious, something that she simply _could not lose_!

And so she had tightened her hold on him. Only a touch mind you, but enough to fill the hole back up. With what, she did not know. But as he moved _again_ and she felt the emptiness once more, she quickly realized that she did not care. She wanted it, wanted him, _needed_ him to stay with her, be with her.

' _Don't move beloved, stay…'_ Her thoughts were tired, groggy and not at all filled with her usual sharp intelligence. But even then, as she realized what she had just thought, what she was feeling, the young woman swiftly realized that something wasn't the same.

' _Something's changed, what has-'_ Her realization melted away as a _warmth_ filled her up, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. _'I…I…can't…ohh…'_

And suddenly, nothing mattered more than getting closer to her beloved David.

She moved upon him, nuzzling his cheek, leaving kiss after kiss upon it. David reacted to her touch by breathing rather heavily, not a word escaping him as she trailed down to his neck and allowed herself to bury her face against it.

Contrary to what one might think, neither of them were aroused by this, not even a bit. The _warmth_ , the bliss they both felt as they became lost in each other surpassed all base emotion until there was only one thought in their minds.

' _I need her.'_

' _I need him.'_

And then it happened.

A Red static began to crackle around the two, softer than before, the noise gentle and quiet. Neither noticed it, nor anything else as their eyes closed. Monika unknowingly found herself locked around David, unable to remove her hands as the crimson static suffused them both. A low red hue crept up their bare skin, starting from their toes until it covered the entirety of their heads.

Lost in slumber, unaware of what was happening to them, the two found themselves quickly overtaken by a feeling of pure, unadulterated delight. Smiles appeared upon their faces and Monika, still quite asleep, pressed her face deeper against him, nuzzling his neck and sighing happily, a sound echoed by her beloved as she moved against him.

And then both of their eyes opened, empty, vacant of conscious thought.

Unnerving to an outsider looking in, the both of them had lost their previous colours. David's blue and Monika's emerald green, both now a deep, dark red. There was no static within them, no lightning held behind the iris.

There was only red, just red.

They both stared at nothing, unfilled, blank eyes open yet not awake. And then they blinked, both at the exact same time and their eyes returned to normal.

David's blue and Monika's green.

And then closed once more as the red hue infused within their skin began to seep into them…until there was no more red, just normal, white skin.

The static faded away, but neither would open their eyes for some time.

…

Monika opened her eyes, just one at first and then the other as found her vision impaired by something. Blinking blearily, the young woman lifted her head up only to smile as she realized just who her face had been nuzzling.

Smiling still, Monika suddenly frowned as she tried to remember how she'd ended up _very_ attached to her boyfriend _'Not that I mind one bit, but I could've sworn I woke up before.'_

She nibbled her bottom lip before shrugging mentally and smiling down at him. _'All well, not like I care. I want to wake up like this every day!'_

Monika leaned down and kissed David's cheek, opening her mouth to say something when a sensation rippled through her, forcing the young woman to gasp.

"What was that?" she cried quietly, holding a hand to her rapidly beating chest. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she pressed two fingers against her lips. "I love David to bits, but it was only a little kiss. So why did it feel so… _wonderful_?"

She looked down at him and blinked at the rather silly grin he had on his face.

"Did he feel it too?" she whispered, smiling despite herself as she looked at his rather comical expression. Biting her lip lightly, Monika took a small breath and leaned down once more, kissing his cheek in the exact same way as before.

Her eyes all but rolled back into her head as the sensation returned, flooding her entire body with a pleasurable warmth and…and…bliss.

Bliss unlike any she'd felt. The closest she could compare it was David's confession the previous day. It was a feeling that enveloped her, caressed her, made her feel so safe, so loved.

A tear began to form but she quickly rubbed it away, looking down at her wonderful man with a wide smile.

' _I don't know what this is, but quite frankly I don't care. I need to wake him up, he needs to feel this awake!'_

"David, honey." Monika put her hand upon his shoulder and shook him gently. "Wake up sleepy head."

She grinned as he groaned and tried to bat her hand away, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she let her hand wander to his neck, her fingers dancing upon his skin as she began to tickle him. David's laughter was quiet at first, the man opening his eyes blearily, slowly.

Too slowly for Monika who sped up her tickling, her poor victim beginning to laugh in earnest as he tried to move her nimble hand away.

"Alright, alright I'm awake, I'm up!" he cried, finally catching her hand and removing it from his neck. Monika smirked down at him, only to moan softly as he kissed her hand, his eyes widening as she did so.

And then his own body seemed to tremble lightly, David's eyes wide as the light yet powerful sensation flooded his body. Monika fought to regain her senses as she witnessed David's reaction, a large grin upon her face as he looked at her hand, confused.

"Yeah," she breathed heavily, intertwining her hand with his as she looked down at him. "So, this is new, right?"

"Right," David echoed, blinking up at her. "Is this normal?"

"No idea," Monika replied, smiling at his comically lost expression. "Figured you might know more about this sort of thing than me."

David shook his head. "I've only been kissed twice, both by the same person and neither made me feel like I could grow wings and fly."

Monika felt the smallest stab of jealousy at his words but forced it to one side as she focused on the other part. "Grow wings and fly?"

"Well," David began, grinning at her as he sat up, realizing with a not so unpleasant start that she was still quite naked. "Kiss of an angel and all that, you know?"

"You charmer you."

Monika quickly noticed his suddenly more awake eyes and smiled as she observed that he seemed to be forcing himself to keep them upon her face.

' _Ten points if I can guess which part of my body he likes the most,'_ she silently giggled.

Slowly, she leaned in and caressed his cheek, a single finger tracing his chin as she looked at his lips.

"You're so adorable sometimes, David," she purred, grinning internally as he swallowed quite visibly. She lowered her voice to a whisper and watched with delight as his eyes darkened. "I love how polite you're trying to be, hon. But I _want_ you to look at me, _all_ of me."

Monika leaned back and stretched, deliberately showing off her body to him and smiling widely as he seemed to become transfixed with her breasts.

' _Ding, ding! And we have a winner!'_

"You like these?" she asked, lifting them up before allowing them to drop and wobble lightly.

David swallowed and grinned at his rather cheeky looking girlfriend. "Well, you certainly seem more…confident now."

She tilted her head and grinned right back at him.

"And why should I not be? I know you love me, and I love you. Why should I not like showing myself to you?" Suddenly smirking, she quickly lifted the covers off of him and grinned at his quite visible reaction to her previous display. "It doesn't look like you mind it when I'm _confident_."

Monika had to fight back a giggle as his arousal actually twitched in response to her last, very sultry sounding word.

"You're just a demon that's come to seduce me, aren't you?" David asked jokingly, his cheeks a touch red at his sudden unveiling.

"Maaaaybe," she said slowly. Her hand moved before David could so much as blink, a single finger suddenly trailing down his member. "Or maybe I just want to _claim_ you."

Without warning she seemed to slip over and atop him, the young woman smiling as she felt _him_ pressing against her back.

"Monika?"

Whatever his question, it swiftly vanished when David found himself rapidly silenced as she leaned down and began to kiss him deeply. Immediately, an overwhelmingly powerful sensation of bliss began to overtake his rational thoughts as he sat up straighter and pulled her to him, groaning as she wrapped her hands around his head and pulled him closer, drinking him deeper.

Their eyes met, Monika's dark with desire, with need for him and only him.

"I want you, David," she panted breathily, words coming in-between nigh desperate kisses. "I don't care if it's too quick. I just want you, I _need_ you to take me, to make me yours!"

David looked at her, his eyes just as dark with need, with desire for her and only her.

"I…I…yes. Yes I want you, I want you to have me."

Monika could only smile and moan happily as they kissed intensely, hands roaming the other, feeling, wanting, needing!

She moved up and took his arousal, moving it until the head was touching her soaked sex. Monika looked at him, needing to watch, to see how his eyes would change when she put him inside her, and they became one.

"Wait!"

A wave of confusion, a blink then one then two…

David was breathing heavily, the longing palpable on his face as he looked at his confused girlfriend, watching as her eyes seemed to lose a bit of their light and become rapidly concerned.

"W-What's the matter, did I do something wrong?" she asked, her anxious voice remarkably vulnerable, a knife in his heart as he tried to calm himself down enough to explain.

"No, no you didn't," he denied, shaking his head both as a refusal and an attempt to shake away the still _burning_ desire to become one with her. "I just…I just…not here."

Blinking at him, adorably confused. "What do you mean, love?"

The term of endearment only made the urge worse for David, but he struggled through it, his body aching at his denial, his refusal.

"I want you," he breathed, looking at her eyes.

She smiled and caressed his cheek. "I know, I want you too. You didn't need to stop me for that, I already know."

He growled at his inability and shook his head, the heavy fog slowly but steadily threatening to fall back unto his mind once more with every second she looked at him.

"N-No, I mean I _want_ you," he repeated, fighting against a seemingly primal urge to shut up and kiss her. "But n-not…n-not…here."

The fog lifted the moment he stopped speaking, a sudden ache within his chest almost painful to the young man as he looked at Monika's slowly growing expression of comprehension.

"Oh…" she uttered, looking up as small smile suddenly appeared upon her face. "You don't want our first time to be at a place you hate."

Monika looked back at her beloved David and kissed him gently. "You silly, wonderful man."

The warmth, the bliss, the feeling returned!

…

But this time, the sensation was gentle. A soft caress against the very fabric of what made up David, as opposed to the powerful, carnal, almost feral urge to claim the other.

"Is this love?" David whispered, almost to himself. "It feels like…"

"More," Monika finished, regarding him with a look, an expression, a feeling he couldn't begin to try and fight. "Maybe…because it's me?"

David looked at her, his funny, brilliant, beautiful Monika and smiled.

"Of course," he murmured, taking her face in his hands and kissing her gently, deeply, softly. "Who else could make me feel so happy?"

The way her face seemed to light up, eyes brightening the room, smile wide, infectious with its joy as she giggled and claimed his lips for her own.

"I love you."

And a voice that could make an angel green with jealousy.

 _ **Shorter than the last one, but just as important. Consider this chapter a significant bit of filler before the next part of the story.**_

 _ **As always please do leave a review telling me your thoughts, feelings and theories. I truly do love reading them. To those who sent me PM's, I apologize for not getting back in touch sooner. Life is messy for me at the moment, but here's hoping it starts to get better soon!**_

 _ **Stay snuggly :D**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**It's that time again!**_

 _ **Haven't been able to stop thinking about the route this story is going to take and to be completely honest, I've had to scrap quite a bit of the original path because it just didn't fit anymore. But like I said, I've been planning on how and where to take this story, instead of winging it.**_

 _ **To my long time readers, you KNOW just how unlike me that is.**_

 _ **Here's the recap! (As always just skip onto the main course if your memory's good)**_

 _ **A new bizarre twist has taken root within the lives of David and Monika.**_

 _ **For as they slept, the mysterious red static made its presence known once more, its unknown energy**_ _ **changing**_ _ **something within them, bringing something…new. They awoke, their feelings stronger, a greater need to be closer, to have skin on skin.**_

 _ **They found that a mere touch, a simple kiss, brought about an immensely pleasurable warmth, a fiery flame deep within that stoked the love each has for the other. It almost consumed their rational sense, David alone finding the will to halt the final act before it was too late, not wanting to become one with Monika in a place he hated so badly.**_

 _ **And now the story carries on, and the mystery…continues.**_

 _ **Begin!**_

 **Symbiosis**

Truth be told, David wasn't quite sure how long he'd been in this room. Looking out of the window and at the miserable looking sky didn't exactly give him a timeframe to work with. That being said, he was more than ready to leave the room and head down to the dining hall.

There was one problem however, just one. A simple problem, a small, teen tiny problem. One that really, could be solved ever so easily if he truly tried. To tell it as it was, he couldn't quite summon the willpower to move. Not because he was tied down or chained to the floor. No, it was a more…sinister reason.

She wouldn't stop touching him.

"Monika, please sweetheart," he tried for what felt like at least the third time. "We've spent all morning glued to each other, don't you wanna get out of here and get something to eat?"

The poor man was showered, clothed and ready to go. Despite this he was still sitting on the neatly made bed, his body denying his words as it stayed put.

There was a shuffling behind him, a gust of light air as _someone's_ breath tickled the back of his neck. The breath moved, tickling his ear as a sensuous, oh so feminine voice spoke softly in his ear.

"Don't you want to stay with me, David?" The young man could only shudder as he felt lips press against his neck, a _very_ familiar warmth making its presence known as it rushed through his body. "We're clean and clothed, and this bed is so comfortable. Can't we just cuddle for a bit longer?"

The image of himself and Monika snuggling up in their casual wear _was_ tempting, he couldn't deny it. But as he felt his stomach rumble lightly, the concept of getting out and getting food was greater.

' _Come on David, summon that legendary willpower you apparently have and move!'_

"Come on Monika, we can cuddle later can't we? Let's just get something to…to…"

Whatever words he may have said vanished as Monika manoeuvred herself onto his lap, straddling him with the ease of an experienced gymnast. Being at eye level, it took no effort from his sneaky girlfriend to captivate him, her emerald orbs drawing him in, her mouth open ever so slightly as she breathed ever so lightly against him.

"To what, David?" she asked, her voice pure silk. Before David could even think to open his mouth, Monika moved closer and brushed her nose against his, nuzzling it affectionately, their eyes locked as David found himself unable to look away. "To lie down on? Well we have a bed right here, so let's lie down together and cuddle, kay?"

She smiled as she felt his arms wrap around her, the young woman practically purring as they pulled her close, just tight enough to feel _very good_.

"Good bo-HEY!"

And then without warning, she found herself spun around and plopped gracelessly upon the bed, her apparently not so captivated boyfriend quickly standing up and speed walking towards the door. He looked back and grinned sheepishly at her completely gorgeous pout, before shrugging and patting his stomach lightly.

"Sorry, but you know they do say that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?" Monika's pout became, if anything, poutier at his words. But alas, she knew defeat when she saw it and so got off the bed, making her way over to him.

David took the time to admire her casual clothing. Her jeans were snug but not too snug and accentuated her hips nicely, whereas the black hoodie she wore made her look frankly adorable. Probably because it was meant to be his.

And probably because she was wearing nothing but a bra underneath it.

She had abandoned the _"Disgusting jacket"_ that had been left for her to wear, informing David that she'd rather be caught wearing a bunny suit than _"An overly frilly coat with far too many flowers on it"._

' _To be fair, she could be dressed in that and still look amazing. Although the bunny suit idea has merit…'_

David was wearing pretty plain clothing, consisting of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt.

He thought he looked alright, though to be fair he would have been fine in almost anything causal. He'd never liked the smart getup that his father and brother wore all the time, feeling more like a monkey in a suit than an actual bloke.

So yeah, he figured he looked alright as he was. And if he'd been privy to the innermost thoughts of his girlfriend, he would have been quite pleased to find out just how much she agreed.

' _He looks delicious…'_

"Alright, fine, fine," she acquiesced, reaching him and wasting no time in wrapping her arms around his shoulders, their eyes meeting. She quickly found that the _look_ he gave her made her legs feel like jelly. "I-I uh, suppose I am pretty hungry too."

She leaned up and kissed him, smiling through it as _warmth_ filled her. David chuckled against her mouth and returned it, only breaking the kiss when the idea of returning to bed began to sound pretty good again.

If Monika realized this, she didn't show it as she kept her gaze upon him, a gleeful smile on her face.

"I love you, David."

He smiled; he couldn't help himself.

"I love you too."

His reply, his words would always make her feel happy, she knew this. But she never tired of hearing them, she knew that too. Monika rubbed her nose against his, giggling quietly as she felt his scrunch playfully against her.

"Come on, let's go."

The door was opened, and together they made their way through the long hall…

…

Elsewhere, in a long dark corridor, Tobias Foam was walking smoothly down the hall. To either side of him were doors, many doors, too many to count and each with a number upon it. He kept up his swift pace for a few more minutes, stopping and placing his thumb upon a small machine. After a short moment, the machine beeped and the door slid open, the number 001 barely noticeable on it.

He took in the room, his eyes glancing at each and every bit of expensive looking equipment. There were test tubes and microscopes of different variations, along with other technology that to be frank, Tobias wasn't entirely sure of. There were around twenty or so people dressed in protective gear, some others with lab coats, the majority were sitting by long tables, glancing at liquids and gases.

Tobias made no noise, no clearing of the throat, not even a shout to say that he was there. But as he continued to walk on in, a tall, lean man made his way over to him. The man was around his late thirties, possibly his early forties at most, and was balding slightly although his messy black hair was still obviously quite there. He was wearing a lab coat over his otherwise casual attire.

"Ah, good morning Tobias," he greeted, smiling politely as the smartly dressed man shook his hand.

"And to you as well, Derek," Tobias replied, a small smile on his face as he tiled his head. "It's been a few weeks, how's the wife doing?"

Derek's face seemed to light up, his smile widening as both men began to walk further into the room. "The wife's doing fine, she's about five months along now. Can't believe we've another lad on the way, it's hard enough with Connor and Kyle."

Tobias chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "If I could manage two boys by myself, I'm sure you can handle another, old friend."

Derek nodded amicably and stopped a few moments later, swiping a card into a reader and entering a smaller room, Tobias stepping smoothly in alongside him.

"So, what news do you have for me?" Tobias asked, his eyes flicking from a large screen filled with symbols and letters he didn't understand, to a table that contained about six test tubes and four pallets upon it, each filled with a liquid.

Two were filled what could only be blood.

"We've been keeping a closer eye on the samples we retrieved a couple of days ago," Derek explained, gesturing to the two blood filled tubes. "I do apologise for not informing you sooner, but something quite remarkable happened yesterday evening."

"Oh?" Tobias sat down upon a stool; his fingers interlocked as he gestured for Derek to continue.

Derek was almost hoping as he continued to explain. "You see when we retrieved the blood samples from Miss Salvato and your youngest son, David a few months back." He paused and winced at Tobias's narrowed eyes. "Uh, when they were asleep of course, they had no idea anything had been taken, I assure you. Um, yes anyway. When we _discretely obtained_ samples of their blood back then, we examined them quite thoroughly. Naturally we paid a little more interest to Miss Salvato's given who she is and where she came from, but as we informed you back then…there wasn't anything unusual about it. It was normal human blood, although a rather rare one being O negative.

"As you also know, we examined young David's and informed you that it was still completely normal. He was O positive, nothing out the ordinary at all. Even the DNA samples we retrieved showed us nothing more than two completely normal young adults. There was nothing to suggest anything different."

"But then something changed did it not?" Tobias interjected, quietly amused at the rapid rate Derek was spitting words out. His friend hadn't changed in twenty years…

Derek grinned, quiet like a loon if Tobias was honest with himself. However the length of time he'd known his old friend made his loony behaviour the norm.

"Ah, yes!" Derek exclaimed, rushing over and pointing at the crimson filled tubes. As Tobias looked, he could have sworn that the liquid in the tubes was _moving_. "It began around two weeks ago, completely random. Both of the samples just _exploded_ within their tubes! There was no rhyme or reason for it, they both just went BANG! It was brilliant, glass and blood everywhere!"

Tobias quirked an eyebrow, silently urging his friend to talk faster, if at all possible.

Getting the hint, Derek continued. "Ahem. Well obviously blood does not spontaneously combust. So we retrieved a fresher sample to examine last night while they were sleeping. We did unfortunately have to keep them sedated, the young woman kept…ah, _biting_ at any hand that got close to young David. And your son was growling and putting his hand wherever we tried to inject the needle on Miss Salvato. Speaking as a scientist, it was quite a remarkable thing to observe. They seemed more akin to semi-sentient animals than fully functioning humans."

Tobias stood up and looked down, contemplating Derek's words as he began to pace.

"So what are trying to tell me, Derek?" he asked, looking over at his friend curiously. "What is she doing to my son?"

Derek winced at the cold tone and paused for a moment, thinking on how best to explain his theory. "Well, this is only guesswork at this point. But I'd speculate that while asleep, they both enter a kind of…protective state, where their senses are sharply heightened which is why they seem to sense danger." He clapped his hands together and closed his eyes, his brow furrowing in concentration.

"Their actions are completely primal of course. One doesn't start biting and growling at people they cannot possibly know are there if they have a rational state of mind. But still…we're in unknown territory here, Tobias. Nothing like this has ever happened before, nothing that's been recorded in history at least."

Tobias looked at Derek and made to speak, only for his sharp eyes to notice the blood behind him once more. Derek quirked an eyebrow and looked back at the blood, a stunned smile worming its way onto his face.

"Ah, yes. There is also that," he said, his voice gleeful as he practically bounced on the spot.

The two tubes were filled with blood to around the halfway mark, nothing unusual to be found in a lab. What was unusual however was the way the blood seemed to be… _reaching_ out to the other, as if being pulled.

"Explain it for me, Derek," Tobias said, his normally well spoken tone filled with astonishment.

"That's the thing, Tobias," Derek replied, grinning widely. "I can't explain it. It happened the moment we put the two tubes near each other. Their blood seems to be…drawn to one another. Oh, and look at what happens when you move them away from the other."

Grinning still, Derek took a tube labelled with the letter 'M' and began to step away from the other tube. Tobias watched with curiosity as Derek made it to the door, said curiosity quickly changing into shock as the blood began to bubble violently, followed up with an audible hissing coming from both tubes.

Derek quickly made his way back and put the tube back in its holder, watching with silent amazement as the bubbling and hissing stopped, as if content now that they were close to one another again.

Tobias blinked twice before opening his mouth, only to close it for a few more moments. Derek looked back at his friend before gesturing for him to come closer. Tobias frowned but complied and walked over, looking down at what appeared to be a tablet filled with notes.

It took a moment or two for him to find it, but when did, his eyes widened.

 **D.F – Blood Type – O+**

 **M.S – Blood Type – O-**

 **Fresher samples were obtained, new testing has displayed impossible results.**

 **D.F Blood Type – O-**

 **M.S – Blood Type – O-**

 **D.F's blood type is now O-. Note that this is impossible! Have retested six times, two have come back O+, four O-.**

 **Inconclusive results suggest ongoing possible mutation? Will need fresh DNA sample.**

Tobias turned to face his friend. "What does this mean, Derek?"

Derek turned and looked at his oldest friend, a sad expression upon his face.

"I can't be certain if it'll be noticeable yet," he explained. "These are only small samples and the body does contain much more blood than what is in those tubes. But…"

"But what?"

Derek sighed and sat down on the stool, a barely noticeable frown marring his face.

"Whatever change…or mutation this is, eventually it'll become too strong for them to-"

"The girl does not matter," Tobias interjected coldly. "If need be, I shall remove her. What matters is how this will affect my son?"

"But that's the thing, Tobias," Derek refuted, shaking his head. "The girl _does_ matter. If this change is linking them together somehow then getting rid of her isn't going to be an option. Because…"

He sighed and looked at his friend. "I believe it is more than a mutation, or a change, or whatever you wish to name it. I think…this is just a theory, but I've theorized that this is a sort of symbiosis. There are multiple kinds of symbiosis, but this one feels like a mix between mutualism and parasitism."

"Parasitism?"

"Yes," Derek replied, nodding. "There are quite a number of types when it comes to symbiosis. Mutualism is where both of the parties benefit. And in this case I believe that the change Miss Salvato has caused, knowingly or unknowingly, will benefit your son in some way. You saw how the blood reached for one another, but did not do so in a violent way until taken away from the other? I believe that when together, the young lady's presence will somehow empower him, although in what way we have no choice but to observe."

Tobias took a moment to take the knowledge in, frowning.

"You also said Parasitism, as in a parasite?"

"I did," Derek agreed. "Or at least a kind of parasitism, one that will likely affect both. You saw how the blood reacted when separated, what do you think would happen if their blood reacts the same way while still inside them?"

Tobias glanced up at his friend, a cold fury etched upon his face.

"He'll experience pain then?" he asked quietly, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Pain, fatigue, possibly to the point of collapse and potentially more unsavoury side effects," Derek said, listing each off with his fingers. "Until it happens there's no way to be sure. This change only appeared to occur last night, so it's as fresh as can be. It may take time until it becomes noticeable, or it may already be waiting to happen. The only way to know what will happen, is to observe them. Maybe create a scenario that causes them to separate from each other."

Tobias nodded and abruptly stood straight, looking at his friend and giving him a small smile. "Thank you, Derek. I shall take what you've told me and use it to the best of my ability."

"Toby."

Tobias stopped on the way towards the door and turned his head around, looking at Derek in surprise.

"This isn't your fault. You had no way of knowing this would happen. Hell, the mere fact that the young lady is even real scorns the nature of science. None of this was your fault."

Tobias paused for a moment, one, two…

"I know," he said eventually. "I had to test him; he was weak, too weak to take over the family business. The other families would walk all over him if I hadn't. And now he's stronger, he stands tall and I know that Miss Salvato is the likely cause behind it."

He paused again, closing his eyes, a gentle humming echoing within his mind.

"Women can do that to a man, God knows what Sarah did for me in my youth. But this…this change, if it ruins him, it'll make all of my efforts for nothing. You've little idea how many times I see Sarah's face when I close my eyes. I could never look her in the eye again if my manipulations end up permanently damaging my son, especially with it being David. He was always her favourite…"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes, wincing internally at the sympathetic look Derek was giving him.

"I miss her too, Tobias."

Tobias smiled and sighed again.

"Yeah…" The door opened, and quietly, without a word more he left.

Derek watched him go with pity in his eyes, a throbbing ache that had never quite left echoed inside him, reminding him that it still existed.

"You left him too soon, Sarah," he whispered sadly, staring into nothingness. "It was hard enough for me to watch you go through what you did. But Toby…when you died, it destroyed him. Now he's raised David in a such a way that David hates him, and Mark is everything you didn't want him to become, spoiled and foolish.

"I know that what I'm doing with David is wrong, and I know you'd slap me silly for it. I haven't so much as spoken to David since you…well. I've been distant, too distant. Some Uncle I am, eh? I doubt he even remembers me."

Derek sighed once more.

"And now this whole Monika situation. What the hell am I supposed to make of this? A girl appears out of thin air, her origins from a computer game and I'm somehow meant to piece it together? How Sarah, how am I supposed to do this? Your son is mutating, changing into something and that girl's the cause of it all. The obvious solution would be to get rid of her but she's clearly something good for him so how could I even suggest it, and regardless I don't even think that they _can_ be separated now."

He rubbed his eyes and looked up at the blank ceiling, a sad smile upon his face.

"You would know what to do," he mumbled. "You were always better at this than me, there was a reason I was your assistant after all."

He sighed and stood up, glancing at the two blood filled tubes before leaving the room and his melancholy thoughts behind.

…

"Say ah!"

David couldn't help himself from chuckling as he opened his mouth, a mere glance at Monika's infectious smile causing his stomach to flip pleasantly as she put the small square of toast in.

"Your turn," he said once he swallowed, grinning like a loon as her eye lit up with joy. Monika opened her mouth and ahh'd him, giggling to herself as he fed her a slice of apple.

"It warms my heart to see you smile so, David."

David turned his head quickly at the sound of the new voice, his smile widening as he took in the features of an elderly looking lady. She had grey hair tied into a neat bob and was wearing a similar attire to the other maids throughout the mansion, though with a few more pins attached to the top pocket.

"Maple!" David exclaimed, moving off of his seat and stopping a few feet in front of the older lady. "I…I didn't know you were still working here?"

Maple's hazel eyes seemed to twinkle at his words, an amused expression upon her face as she looked him up and down, her gaze moving to Monika who had just gotten up and was making her way over.

"I was brought back not a few nights ago," Maple explained, smiling as she observed how easily the young woman took David's hand and entwined with her own. "Not a coincidence I suspect, but never mind that now. You have an introduction to make young man."

As if catching himself, David flushed at the light reprimand and cleared his throat.

"Oh course, sorry," he apologized, before looking at Monika and gesturing to Maple. "Maple, this is my girl- my partner, Monika Salvato. Monika, this Maple. She helped look after me when I was growing up."

"You've never mentioned her before?"

David blushed with embarrassment but spoke anyway. "Well…no one knew really. Lucy thought she alone was the light of my life at the time, and I didn't want to hurt her, so I kept it all hushed up. Besides, I was scared they'd get rid of Maple if anyone caught on."

"You worried too much, David, no one ever knew," Maple said kindly, reaching over and taking Monika's unoccupied hand with two of her own, holding it dearly. "In any case it's lovely to meet you dear. I daresay I've never seen David smile quite so much. I would hazard a guess that _you_ are the cause of this?"

Monika flushed lightly at the obvious praise and smiled prettily. "I…I yes, I believe so, hope so…"

David looked at her strangely before flicking her nose affectionately.

"Of course you are, silly." He leaned close, Monika mimicking his actions with a bizarre symmetry as they leaned close, their noses nuzzling the other.

"My but you two are adorable," Maple complimented, eyes still visibly twinkling as she eyed the two. Both detached from the other with a light flush upon their features, but their hands remained entwined with the other. "I have to get back to my duties now, David. But it was lovely to see you again, and it was lovely to meet such a pretty young lady."

"It was nice seeing you again too, Maple," David replied, smiling at her and watching as she bowed low before leaving the dining hall. He sighed to himself and turned back to look at Monika, the woman in question staring at him happily. "What?"

"I thought you didn't have anyone growing up," she said softly, a hand reaching to cup his face. "I know you likely still have secrets, and I'm not asking you to tell me any of them. But knowing this one…it makes me happy to know that you weren't completely alone here."

David laughed softly and looked up for a brief moment, before looking back at Monika's pretty smile and leaning closer, resting his head against hers as they looked into the other's eyes.

"Sometimes I think you're too good for someone like me."

"Shh," she hushed, moving so as to touch his nose with hers. "Don't ever think that. I'm the lucky one, you could have thrown me away the moment I came into your life, but you didn't."

"The concept barely ever crossed my mind," he admitted.

"Another reason to love you," she crooned, leaning closer, her lips-

The sound of a door opening caused the two to split, though not quickly enough to avoid the person entering from seeing it.

"Well, colour me surprised little brother, I never thought you had it in you."

David's expression changed so rapidly from happy to irate that Monika had to look twice to check it had actually happened. She turned around and looked on as another man entered the dining hall, followed by a woman…one she knew already.

"I trust you remember my wife," the man continued, gesturing to a lightly flushed but otherwise composed Lucy Fahrenheit.

"She was meant to be yours after all…"

 _ **And boom, done!**_

 _ **As always please do tell me what you think, it inspires MOAR!**_

 _ **Cya, Stay Snuggly :D**_


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